Miss America 2005, the 78th Miss America pageant, was held in Atlantic City on Saturday, September 18, 2004, following a week of events including the preliminary competition.

The pageant was broadcast live on ABC from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Although this was not known at the time, this pageant would be the last held in Atlantic City until 2013, as the pageant moved to Las Vegas, Nevada beginning in 2006. It was also the last one to be televised by an over-the-air network until 2011.

At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Ericka Dunlap crowned Deidre Downs of Alabama as her successor.

Competition All delegates compete in an interview competition with the judges, based on their platform issue, and also in the swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions.

Prior to the nationally televised competition, the delegates participate in three nights of preliminary competition (accounting for 30% of final night's score), where preliminary award winners are chosen in each category.

During the final telecast, following the announcement of the semi-finalists, the top ten competed in casual wear and swimsuit (each worth 15% and 10% of final night's score, respectively). The top five went on to compete in evening gown (15% of score) and took part in a quiz show (20% of score) that replaced the onstage question that year. The final two contestants (Miss Alabama 2004, Deidre Downs and Miss Louisiana 2004, Jennifer Dupont) standing advanced to the first-ever head-to-head talent competition (20% of score), the final event that determined who would become Miss America 2005.

Results

Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 2005 – Deidre Downs 1st Runner-Up – Jennifer Dupont 2nd Runner-Up – Kirstin Elrod 3rd Runner-Up – Lacy Fleming 4th Runner-Up – Veena Goel Top 10 – Danica Tisdale – Megan Bushell – Christina Ellington – Elizabeth Kinney – Jamie Story

Awards Preliminary awards

Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness Florida - Jenna Edwards Louisiana - Jennifer Dupont Utah - Amy Davis Talent California - Veena Goel Georgia - Danica Tisdale Massachusetts - Erika Ebbel

Final night awards Awards Contestant Casual wear Louisiana - Jennifer Dupont Swimsuit Evening wear Alabama - Deidre Downs

Quality of Life award

Results Contestant Platform Winner Alabama - Deidre Downs Curing Childhood Cancer 1st runner-up Idaho - Elizabeth Barchas Promoting Understanding of Individuals with Disabilities 2nd runner-up Nevada - Elizabeth Muto ‘H.E.L.P.’ing Children Overcome Adversities

Non-finalist awards

Awards Contestant Interview Idaho - Elizabeth Barchas Kentucky - Maria Maldonado Nevada - Elizabeth Muto New Hampshire - Alyssa Spellman New Mexico - Susan Yara Talent Indiana - Sarah Wiley Iowa - Carolyn Nicholas Maine - Ami Vice Massachusetts - Erika Ebbel Missouri - Whitney Weeks New Jersey - Erica Scanlon Ohio - Amanda Beagle Tennessee - Ashley Eicher

Other awards

Awards Contestant Miss Congeniality Hawaii - Olena RubinBernie Wayne Scholarship for the Performing Arts Maine - Ami Vice Leonard C. Horn for Legal Studies Idaho - Elizabeth Barchas

Delegates

State Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes Alabama Deidre Downs Birmingham 24 Vocal Winner Quality of Life Alaska Christina Reasner Sterling 22 Pop Vocal Arizona Katherine Kennedy Tempe 24 Baton Twirling Arkansas Lacy Fleming Hampton 22 Vocal 3rd runner-up California Veena Goel Laguna Hills 22 Jazz Dance 4th runner-up Preliminary Talent Colorado Laura Tobey Denver 23 Jazz Vocal Connecticut Nikki Palmieri North Haven 22 Jazz Dance Delaware Linda Kurtz Dover 21 Ballet District of Columbia Therese Lizardo Watchung 24 Tahitian / Hawaiian Dance Florida Jenna Edwards Miami 23 Pop Vocal Preliminary Swimsuit Miss Florida USA 2007 Georgia Danica Tisdale Atlanta 23 Vocal Top 10 Preliminary Talent Hawaii Olena Rubin Kilauea 23 Vocal Miss Congeniality Idaho Elizabeth Barchas Boise 24 Classical Piano Quality of Life 1st runner-up, Non-finalist Interview, Leonard C. Horn for Legal Studies Triple Crown winner: Miss Idaho Teen USA 1998, Miss Idaho USA 2001 Illinois Michelle LaGroue Naperville 24 Vocal Indiana Sarah Wiley Carmel 24 Vocal Non-finalist Talent Iowa Carolyn Nicholas Clear Lake 23 Flute Non-finalist Talent Kansas Megan Bushell Wichita 22 Classical Vocal Top 10 Kentucky Maria Maldonado Lexington 22 Vocal Non-finalist Interview Louisiana Jennifer Dupont Plaquemine 23 Jazz Dance 1st runner-up Preliminary Swimsuit Triple Crown winner: Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998, Miss Louisiana USA 2000 Maine Ami Vice Lisbon Falls 23 Classical Vocal Non-finalist Talent, Bernie Wayne Scholarship for the Performing Arts Maryland Tiffany Jenkins Silver Spring 24 Vocal Massachusetts Erika Ebbel Cambridge 23 Classical Piano Preliminary Talent, Non-finalist Talent Michigan Kelli Talicska Auburn 24 Vocal Minnesota Tiffany Ogle Waverly 24 Vocal Mississippi Jalin Wood Waynesboro 23 Piano Miss Mississippi USA 2007 Missouri Whitney Weeks Chesterfield 24 Tap Dance Non-finalist Talent Montana Evangelina Duke Billings 20 Vocal Nebraska Brook Matthews Blair 24 Vocal Nevada Elizabeth Muto Las Vegas 24 Monologue Quality of Life 2nd runner-up, Non-finalist Interview New Hampshire Alyssa Spellman Derry 21 Vocal Non-finalist Interview New Jersey Erica Scanlon Pitman 22 Vocal Non-finalist Talent New Mexico Susan Yara Pecos 23 Vocal Non-finalist Interview New York Christina Ellington New York City 22 Operatic Vocal Top 10 North Carolina Kirstin Elrod Cary 23 Classical Vocal 2nd runner-up North Dakota Ashley Ford Cavalier 21 Vocal Ohio Amanda Beagle Warren 24 Operatic Aria Non-finalist Talent Oklahoma Elizabeth Kinney Mooreland 22 Tap Dance Top 10 Oregon Brook Roberts Roseburg 21 Vocal The Amazing Race 17 contestant along with her fellow home shopping host Claire Champlin Pennsylvania Victoria Bechtold Johnstown 21 Classical Operatic Vocal Rhode Island Aimée Belisle North Smithfield 24 Ballet South Carolina Ann Wood Spartanburg 23 Lyrical Dance South Dakota Kyra Korver Mitchell 23 Broadway Vocal Tennessee Ashley Eicher Nashville 24 Vocal Non-finalist Talent Texas Jamie Story Bedford 23 Classical Piano Top 10 Utah Amy Davis Bountiful 22 Classical Piano Preliminary Swimsuit 1st runner-up at Miss Utah USA 2007 Vermont Megan Yardley Burlington 24 Vocal Virginia Mariah Rice Mechanicsville 24 Lyrical Dance Virgin Islands Kinila Callendar Saint Thomas 24 Cultural Dance Washington Allison Porter University Place 24 Classical Violin West Virginia Julia Burton Petersburg 22 Pop Vocal Wisconsin Molly Jean McGrath Wisconsin Rapids 22 Theatrical Dance en Pointe Wyoming Megan Reichert Dayton 19 Classical Vocal

References

External links Miss America official website