Spoiler Alert!
Tonight, January 15th, was the 90th annual Miss America pageant which aired at 9PM EST on ABC. With 53 women competing from across America, only one could be crowned the 2011 winner. The final show started with narrowing the playing fields based on preliminary competitions. 11 finalists were selected from those scores and the audience was left guessing where the remainder of the top 15 would come from. Contestants were soon informed that they would be voting for a fellow delegate and the two girls with the highest number of votes would be given another shot at the title. The other two additional finalists were chosen based on a viewer’s choice online election. The 15 stunning young women competed again in swimsuit in front of a live audience.
The number quickly dropped to 12 ladies who continued vying for the title while modeling the evening gown of their choice. This is always my favorite part of pageantry. It truly showcases each girl’s personal style. After that, all of the remaining competitors dressed for talent although they knew only 10 names would be called to actually perform. The top 10 included a former American Idol contestant, a contemporary ballerina, and a singing ventriloquist among others.
As the final five were announced, they had to think on their feet while answering an onstage question. Oklahoma, Hawaii, Washington, Nebraska, and Arkansas were all represented. Topics ranged from internet privacy to international relations. Since I am a pageant competitor myself, my stomach was in knots as the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd Runners-Up were called. I know that feeling and it was so nerve wracking waiting to hear who the next Miss America would be! Miss Arkansas, Alyse Eady, and Miss Nebraska, Teresa Scanlan, were the last two standing.
And the winner is… Miss Nebraska!! Teresa Scanlan was crowned in a stunning white gown tonight. Teresa is the second youngest Miss America ever at only 17 years of age. She’s a piano-playing, ambitious High School student who hopes to raise awareness about eating disorders and eventually become a politician.
So what do you think collegiettes? Does she deserve it? Who was your pick to win?
Photo credit: www.cbsnews.com
Also check out www.missamerica.org for more info on Teresa’s win!