Miss Nebraska Takes Miss America Title

Tiaras, princess-cut dresses, and cutthroat competition--it’s all in a day’s work for the Miss America contestants.

And in the end, Miss Nebraska took the crown.

Teresa Scanlan, 17, of Gering, Nebraska, was awarded the Miss America title last night in Las Vegas, The Associated Press reported. The win comes with a $50,000 scholarship.

Her victory also marks the first time ever that Nebraska had a Miss America winner, said the AP.

During the competition, Scanlan wore a black bikini and white evening gown, performed a musical piece on piano, and offered her opinion on WikiLeaks.

A recent graduate from high school, Scanlan, whose interest is politics, plans to attend Patrick Henry College in Virginia when her stint as Miss America is completed. A pageant press release said that Scanlan's goal is to go to law school.

Alyse Eady--Miss Arkansas--was the first runner-up followed by Jalee Fuselier--Miss Hawaii--as the second runner-up.

In addition to the three top finalists, the competition's other semi-finalists included: Emoly West (Miss Oklahoma); Ashley Melnick (Miss Texas); Deborah Saint-Vil (Miss Rhode Island); Christina Lowe (Miss Utah); Jacquie Brown (Miss Washington); Kathryn Bulkley (Miss Arizona); Caitlin Uze (Miss Virginia); Arianna Afsar (Miss California); Claire Buffie (Miss New York); Kayla Martell (Miss Delaware); Djuan Trent (Miss Kentucky); and Stephanie Steers (Miss Oregon).

Entertainment Weekly’s Tanner Stransky argues that there was hardly any promotion for the broadcast, which aired on ABC. “Where are the billboards? The magazine advertisements? The hosts and last year’s winner Miss Virginia parading through the morning-show circuit?” Stransky writes.

The pageant did feel like it was thrown together at the last minute, from the lackluster beginning choreography, to the hiccups between the hosts. During the eveningwear segment of the show, the girls kept saying how the “real me” is someone who stays home in pajamas and frumpy shoes. But it seems like a lot of the “inner beauty”

“I love Lady Gaga’s meat gown, I kind of wish I had one,” said Miss Kentucky Djuan Trent.

Alyse Eady--Miss Arkansas--certainly had an interesting talent. While performing the yodeling/cowboy hit “I Want To Be A Cowboy,” she had two frightening looking dummies that she made yodel.
 

Selected Readings: The Associated Press, Entertainment Weekly, Miss America Web site

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