Gretchen Polhemus
Encyclopedia
Gretchen Lynn Polhemus-Jensen (née Polhemus; born March 12, 1965) is a former Miss USA
and second runner-up to .
, Jensen was working as a cattle broker and real estate agent in her home state.
in the 14th edition of the Miss Texas USA
pageant in 1987 and obtained the Photogenic award, placing second runner-up to eventual winner, Courtney Gibbs
.
The following year, she competed again as Miss Fort Worth USA and won the title, gaining the right to represent Texas
in .
to the 1989 Miss USA
pageant, held in Mobile, Alabama
, Jensen captured the crown of Miss USA
and was crowned its 38th titleholder, becoming the last of five consecutive winners from Texas
during the 1980s
.
At the 1989 Miss Universe
pageant, she placed fifth in semifinal interview, fourth in swimsuit
and eighth in evening gown, which allowed her to advance as one of the Top 5 finalists of the competition, finishing her participation in Miss Universe 1989
as second runner-up to eventual winner, Angela Visser
of Holland.
and Michael Landon Jr.
, and worked as a sports correspondent
for ESPN
and for a CBS
affiliate as a news correspondent. She was also a judge at the 2003 Miss USA
pageant, resides in Salt Lake City's metropolitan area
and is now a divorced mother of five.
Miss USA 1989
Miss USA 1989, the 38th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Mobile Civic Center Theatre in Mobile, Alabama on February 28, 1989. At the conclusion of the final competition, Gretchen Polhemus of Texas was crowned by outgoing titleholder Courtney Gibbs...
and second runner-up to .
Early life
Prior to competing in Miss Texas USAMiss Texas USA
The Miss Texas USA competition is the pageant who selects the representative for the state Texas in the Miss USA pageant. In turn, the winner of Miss USA competes for the title of Miss Universe....
, Jensen was working as a cattle broker and real estate agent in her home state.
Miss Texas USA
Jensen competed as Miss Bedford USABedford, Texas
Bedford is a suburban city located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, in the "Mid-Cities" area between Dallas and Fort Worth. It is a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 46,979 at the 2010 census...
in the 14th edition of the Miss Texas USA
Miss Texas USA
The Miss Texas USA competition is the pageant who selects the representative for the state Texas in the Miss USA pageant. In turn, the winner of Miss USA competes for the title of Miss Universe....
pageant in 1987 and obtained the Photogenic award, placing second runner-up to eventual winner, Courtney Gibbs
Courtney Gibbs
Courtney Ann Gibbs-Mokarow is a former Miss USA and Top 10 semifinalist at Miss Universe 1988.-Miss USA:...
.
The following year, she competed again as Miss Fort Worth USA and won the title, gaining the right to represent Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in .
Miss USA 1989
As the official representative of her stateTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to the 1989 Miss USA
Miss USA 1989
Miss USA 1989, the 38th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Mobile Civic Center Theatre in Mobile, Alabama on February 28, 1989. At the conclusion of the final competition, Gretchen Polhemus of Texas was crowned by outgoing titleholder Courtney Gibbs...
pageant, held in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Jensen captured the crown of Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
and was crowned its 38th titleholder, becoming the last of five consecutive winners from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
during the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
.
At the 1989 Miss Universe
Miss Universe 1989
Miss Universe 1989, the 38th Miss Universe pageant was held at Fiesta Americana Condesa Hotel, Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico on May 23, 1989. Angela Visser of Holland was crowned as Miss Universe 1989. Seventy-six contestants competed for the crown....
pageant, she placed fifth in semifinal interview, fourth in swimsuit
Swimsuit
A swimsuit, bathing suit, or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn by men, women or children while they are engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, water polo, diving, surfing, water skiing, or during activities in the sun, such as sun bathing.A...
and eighth in evening gown, which allowed her to advance as one of the Top 5 finalists of the competition, finishing her participation in Miss Universe 1989
Miss Universe 1989
Miss Universe 1989, the 38th Miss Universe pageant was held at Fiesta Americana Condesa Hotel, Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico on May 23, 1989. Angela Visser of Holland was crowned as Miss Universe 1989. Seventy-six contestants competed for the crown....
as second runner-up to eventual winner, Angela Visser
Angela Visser
Angela Visser is the first woman from the Netherlands to win the Miss Universe pageant in 1989.-Miss Universe:...
of Holland.
Life after Miss USA
In 1993, Jensen appeared in a made-for-TV-movie with Ben JohnsonBen Johnson (actor)
Ben "Son" Johnson, Jr. was an American motion picture actor who was mainly cast in Westerns. He was also a rodeo cowboy, stuntman, and rancher.-Personal life:...
and Michael Landon Jr.
Michael Landon Jr.
Michael Landon, Jr. is an American actor, director, writer and producer.- Biography :Born as Michael Graham Landon, Landon is the son of the late actor Michael Landon and his second wife, Marjorie Lynn Noe. Michael is the brother of Christopher B...
, and worked as a sports correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and for a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate as a news correspondent. She was also a judge at the 2003 Miss USA
Miss USA 2003
The Miss USA 2003 pageant was held in San Antonio, Texas March 24, 2003, the first time it had been held in this state since 1996 when the pageant was held in South Padre Island...
pageant, resides in Salt Lake City's metropolitan area
Salt Lake City metropolitan area
The Salt Lake City Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in north central Utah, anchored by Salt Lake City. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 968,858. As of July 1, 2009 the U.S...
and is now a divorced mother of five.