Twenty-two-year-old Racine native Willow Newell became the first Black woman to win the Miss Wisconsin title on June 21 at the New Berlin West Performing Arts Center.
Newell competed against 29 contestants representing their communities across Wisconsin in five categories, including evening gown, talent, private interview, health and wellness, and an on-stage conversation on community service.
“It is an absolute honor to be the first Black woman to represent the state of Wisconsin!” Newell said in a social media post after her victory, “And I cannot wait to step on the Miss America stage and meet all of you while serving this beautiful state I have the privilege of calling home!”
Founded in 1936, the Miss Wisconsin Scholarship Organization is a preliminary to the Miss America Organization, one of the nation’s leading achievement programs and the world’s largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women
Wisconsin has been well represented at the Miss America Competition over the years and three women have gone on to become Miss America including Terry Anne Meeuwsen of De Pere, who was crowned Miss America 1973, Laura Kaeppeler of Kenosha in 2012, and Grace Stanke of Wausau in 2023.
Newell who earned a bachelor of arts degree in muiscal theater from Carthage College in 2025, will travel to Orlando, Florida, in early September to compete for the title of Miss America 2026.
Natalie Popp, a 17-year-old from Fitchburg, was crowned Miss Teen Wisconsin.
