BRENHAM’S NATALIE BODE PLACES IN TOP 10 AT MISS USA

  

A Brenham native is celebrating a top-10 finish in the Miss USA 2026 pageant.

Natalie Bode, a 2017 graduate of Brenham High School, represented the state of Nevada at the Miss USA pageant last week in Miami after earning the title of Miss Nevada 2026 earlier this year, and she placed among the top 10 finalists of the 51 women competing for the honor.

Bode currently works in Las Vegas as a television host, reporter and content creator after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She believes the success she has enjoyed in her career can be directly linked to the skills she has developed in pageantry, training not only for fitness and physique but also to present herself with confidence and grace.

Bode continues to serve as a host and reporter for the Celebrity Poker Tour, covers the World Series of Poker on ESPN as a sideline reporter, hosts the National Heads-Up Poker Championship for NBC and Peacock, and covers the Indoor Football League for Yahoo Sports, with a goal of one day covering college football.  She also hosts the long-form interview podcast “Stories Untold” and creates original content as an official TikTok sports creator.

Grateful for her upbringing in Brenham, Bode encourages people to never forget their roots and – while still dreaming big – cherish what they have.

Bode says pageantry has also allowed her to serve her community, and she is passionate about her efforts to mentor youth and help prepare them for their future.  She says she would love for a pageant to start in Brenham and that she would be interested in helping to establish one.