Miss Utah Noelia Voigt has been crowned as Miss USA 2023 following Friday’s contest at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada.
Voigt defeated runner-up Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz and second runner-up Miss Wisconsin Alexis Loomans for the precious crown. Morgan Romano, who took over the Miss USA 2022 title after actual winner R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss Universe, presented her crown to Voigt.
In her Instagram account, days before the pageant, Voigt wrote, “The past seven years of my pageant journey have all led me to this moment. I usually have a bit of nerves before the interview, but right now, I feel completely at peace. I can’t wait to get into that room, connect with the judges, and show them 100% of who Noelia is!”
Voigt reflected in July on becoming the first Venezuelan-American crowned Miss Utah.
She wrote on Instagram, “I am honored to be the first Venezuelan-American woman to hold the title of Miss Utah USA, and I am truly looking forward to breaking barriers and bridging the gap between communities by being able to speak Spanish and connect with the large Hispanic population in Utah.”
This year’s pageant noticed Laylah Rose as the new Miss USA president.
Rose, a fashion designer and CEO of the VIP Pageantry television network told Insider ahead of Friday’s contest to concern some new modifications.
The new president pledged that moving ahead, the swimsuit round, evening-gown round, and interview round the women were judged on would not extend equally represent 33 percent of their final vote.
Now, the interview round counts as 50 percent while the other two classes have fallen to 25.
Rose told the outlet, “I came in and I wanted to highlight the delegates as individuals. Just like getting a job or career, you have to interview to be accepted. That, to me, is the most important piece of the organization, and I wanted to highlight that.”
She continued, “We’re not just parading onstage and we’re not just wearing heels. We’re out there supporting our platforms making waves and breaking glass ceilings in the philanthropy world that we want to be in. I think that component has not been highlighted as much, and that is what I love to bring.”
Another update is that the last question won’t be political. “For that last 30 seconds that she gets onstage — let her have her moment.”
The presiding president has also enforced the use of Tally Genie — a voting system that is the “premier tabulation and auditing software solution for the pageant industry.”
In 2022, some contenders claimed the pageant was rigged in favor of Miss Texas R’Bonney Gabriel — the first Filipino-American woman to be crowned Miss USA.
In a statement, Gabriel said, “The current allegations are based on perception, and not the truth. I would never want to enter a competition that was rigged.”
