MIDDLETOWN, NJ — A young woman who grew up in Middletown was just crowned Miss New Jersey USA 2026.
Middletown's own Katarina Lengyel will represent New Jersey at the Miss USA competition, which will be held in Miami later this August (the Miss USA pageant will be held Aug. 24 - 27, with the final coronation night Aug. 27). There, she will compete for the national title of Miss USA.
Lengyel is currently 25 years old and she attended and graduated from Middletown High School South. She grew up taking dance lessons and competing, and while in high school, she started teaching adaptive dance classes for neurodiverse individuals, such as kids and teens with autism.
Those classes eventually grew into her creating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Inspire Dance Team, based in Shrewsbury. It's a dance team for teenagers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Lengyel's favorite place to spend the summer is the Jersey Shore and, as a true Monmouth County girl, she even has her boating license. Her dream to one day compete on "Dancing with the Stars," and her dream dance partner would be Mark Ballas.
Before winning the Miss New Jersey USA title, Lengyel competed three times, making the Top 16 and finishing as first runner-up twice. She kept trying and she won Miss New Jersey USA on her fourth try.
She is also a freelance model and walked in Miami Swim Week in 2026.
Lengyel has a bachelor's degree in accounting, with a minor in dance, from the University of South Florida and a master's degree from New York University. According to her profile on the Miss USA website, she works as a finance professional when she's not competing in pageants.
As Miss New Jersey USA, Katarina hopes to spend her year meeting people in classrooms, dance studios, community organizations and on the Miss USA stage. Learn more about her, or book her for appearances.
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