Lynnette Marie O'Nan (née Cole; born February 9, 1978) is an American director, former model and beauty pageant titleholder who won the title Miss Tennessee USA 2000. She went on to become the first woman from that state to win the Miss USA 2000 pageant,(April 1, 2004)
Chattanooga’s Stephanie Culberson Representing Tennessee At Miss USA 2000
, chattanoogan.com ("In 2000, Columbia’s Lynnette Cole was the first from the state to win the coveted title.") she represented the United States at Miss Universe 2000, was one of placed in the Top 5 finalist. Cole is from Columbia, Tennessee and was twenty-one years old when she won the national crown.(February 27, 2000)

''Fayetteville Observer'' ("Lynnette Cole says she is half Puerto Rican and half white The 21yearold who was Miss Tennessee won the Miss USA crown on Feb 4")

Family background

Cole is of Puerto Rican heritage.

Pageants

Cole's first major pageant win came in 1995 when she won the title Miss Tennessee Teen USA.(August 14, 1995)
TEEN USA CONTESTANTS SERIOUS ABOUT ISSUES
''Wichita Eagle'' ("Miss Tennessee Teen USA - Lynnette Cole") She was a top six finalist at the

Miss Teen USA Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant that has been run since 1983 by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19 years old as of January 1st of the competition year. They must be US citizens, and cannot have been married, pregnant, or ...

pageant in that year, and won the Miss Photogenic award, finishing fourth overall. Cole later won the 1997 Miss Teen All American title. After winning Miss Tennessee USA Cole competed for and won the title of Miss USA 2000, becoming the second Hispanic woman to win Miss USA after Laura Harring at Miss USA 1985. Cole went on to compete at the

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international major beauty pageant that is run by a Thailand and Mexican-based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stree ...

pageant, held in

Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...

, Cyprus later that year.(February 4, 2000)
Tennessean Crowned Miss Usa 2000
''Kingman Daily Miner'' (Associated Press) Her performance was enough to secure her a spot among the five finalists,(May 13, 2000)
Miss India Wins Miss Universe Pageant
''Gainesville Sun'' (Associated Press) and brought the US back into the semifinals (after Kimberly Pressler had failed to advance the year before, breaking a streak of consecutive placements that had been going since 1977). She also placed fifth overall. She became the first woman to place in the top five at all three pageants and her record was not surpassed until 2006 by Tara Conner. Cole has directed a local preliminary for Miss Tennessee USA.(December 10, 2008)
A Gallery of Black Beauty Queens
PhilStar.com

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Lynnette 1970s births American people of Puerto Rican descent Living people Miss Tennessee USA winners Miss Universe 2000 contestants Miss USA 2000 delegates Miss USA winners People from Columbia, Tennessee American adoptees 1995 beauty pageant contestants 20th-century Miss Teen USA delegates 20th-century American people Year of birth missing (living people)