CHOCTAW, Miss. (WJTV) – Sydney Russell, of Collinsville, was crowned Miss Mississippi USA 2023 on Saturday, April 1. Claire Ulmer, of Natchez, was also crowned as Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2023.

Russell, 23, is a student pharmacist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). Ulmer is an 18-year-old senior in high school and hopes to one day be a sports broadcaster.

Miss Mississippi USA and Miss Mississippi Teen USA are the preliminaries for Miss USA and Miss Teen USA, which will be held later this year. The preliminaries were held Saturday night at the Pearl River Resort and Casino in Choctaw.

The runners up for Miss Mississippi USA were Maggie Ulmer from Natchez – First Runner Up; Maddi Lambert from Hernando – Second Runner Up; Dana Wesley from West Point – Third Runner Up and Kaylee Brooke McCollum from Amory – Fourth Runner Up.

The runners up for Miss Mississippi Teen USA were Addison Carver from Brookhaven – First Runner Up; Caroline Ulmer from Bay Springs – Second Runner Up; Lauryl Joyner from Meridian – Third Runner Up and Isabella Nolen from Madison – Fourth Runner Up.

Applications for the 2024 pageant is now being accepted online.