Miss America 2008, the 81st Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
The pageant was broadcast live on TLC from the Theatre for the Performing Arts at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, only the third time that the pageant had been held outside Atlantic City.
Kirsten Haglund (Michigan) was crowned Miss America 2008 by Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson.
Miss America: Reality Check The pageant's new network, TLC, premiered a four-week reality competition, titled Miss America: Reality Check, on January 4, 2008, hosted by Ugly Betty actor Michael Urie. The premise of the show is to show the contestants preparing for the pageant and to update the image of the Miss America pageant, which had seen a decline in popularity over the last few decades. In addition, viewers were able to vote online and choose one of the delegates to be a finalist in the pageant.
Judges The seven judges for the competition were fashion designer Trace Ayala, magazine editor Sarah Ivens, Olympic athlete and gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, casting director Jason La Padura, personal trainer Kim Lyons, television news anchor Robin Meade, and motivational speaker James Arthur Ray.
Results Placements
Placement Contestant Miss America 2008 – Kirsten Haglund 1st Runner-Up – Nicole Rash 2nd Runner-Up – Elyse Umemoto 3rd Runner-Up – Hannah Kiefer 4th Runner-Up – Jessica Jacobs Top 8 – Melissa Chaty – Molly Hazlett – Christina Thompson Top 10 – Leah Massee – Diana Reed Top 16 – Katie Bailey – Kylie Williams – Kimberly Morgan – Crystal Garrett – Grace Gore – Jill Stevens § § – America's Choice
Awards Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness – Kirsten Haglund – Ashley Bickford – Molly Hazlett Talent – Dana Daunis – Diana Reed – Valerie Amaral Quality of Life award Results Contestant Platform Winner Nevada – Caleche Manos M.A.D.D. – Prevention of Drinking and Driving Through Education 1st runner-up Florida – Kylie Williams - 2nd runner-up Oklahoma –– Makenna Smith - Finalists Alabama – Jamie Langley Massachusetts – Valerie Amaral Minnesota – Jennifer Hudspeth North Carolina – Jessica Jacobs Rhode Island – Ashley Bickford Tennessee – Grace Gore Various Other awards Awards Contestant Miss Congeniality North Dakota – Ashley Young Non-finalist Talent Connecticut – Dana Daunis District of Columbia – Shayna Rudd Idaho – Sadie Quigley Massachusetts – Valerie Amaral New Jersey – Amy Polumbo Oregon – Kari Virding Pennsylvania – Rachel Brooks Pyramid Scholarship for Public Relations & Marketing New Hampshire – Rachel Barker
Delegates State/district Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Special awards Notes Alabama Jamie Langley Wadley 24 Vocal, "Listen" CMN Miracle Maker Award 2nd runner-upQuality of Life Award Finalist Alaska Cari Leyva Anchorage 23 Vocal, "Habanera" from Carmen Previously Miss Alaska USA 2004 Arizona Nicole Turner Phoenix 24 Jazz Dance, "Proud Mary" Arkansas Katie Bailey Conway 25 Vocal, "Feeling Good" Top 16 California Melissa Chaty Ukiah 23 Operatic Vocal, "The Jewel Song" from Faust Top 8 Previously Miss Teenage California 2003 Colorado Maggie Ireland Littleton 22 Irish Step Dance, "Dueling Violins" & "Footloose" Connecticut Dana Daunis Watertown 22 Vocal, "Let Him Fly" Non-finalist Talent AwardPreliminary Talent Award Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant Delaware Brittany Dempsey Dover 20 Jazz Dance, "Rhythm of the Night" Previously Delaware's Junior Miss 2005 District of Columbia Shayna Rudd Philadelphia 22 Jazz Dance, "Feeling Good" Non-finalist Talent Award Florida Kylie Williams Jasper 24 Country Vocal, "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" Top 16 Quality of Life Award 1st runner-up Georgia Leah Massee Fitzgerald 22 Vocal, "If I Had My Way" Top 10 Hawaii Ashley Layfield Kane'ohe 21 Lyrical Dance, "Listen" from Dreamgirls Sister of Miss Hawaii USA 2008, Jonelle Layfield2nd runner-up in Miss New York USA 2012 and 2013 pageants Idaho Sadie Quigley Idaho Falls 19 Piano, "Devilish Inspiration, Op. 4, No. 4" by Sergei Prokofiev Non-finalist Talent Award Illinois Ashley Hatfield Anna 24 Vocal, "To Love You More" Indiana Nicole Rash Plymouth 23 Vocal, "Bandito" 1st runner-up Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2006 pageantLater Ms. America 2012Later Mrs. America 2018 (under married name, Nicole Cook)Top 6 at Mrs. World 2018 pageant Iowa Diana Reed Norwalk 23 Baton, "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray Top 10 Preliminary Talent Award Kansas Alyssa George Minneapolis 21 Classical Piano Kentucky Kaitlynne Postel Lexington 21 Vocal, "So Much Better" from Legally Blonde Daughter of Miss Maryland 1982, Lynne Graham Postel Louisiana Amanda Joseph Pineville 21 Ballet en Pointe, "Canned Heat" Maine Tara Allain Biddeford 22 Dance, "Hangin' By a Thread" Maryland Shana Powell Bowie 22 Classical Vocal, "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide Massachusetts Valerie Amaral Acushnet 22 Vocal, "Anyway" CMN Miracle Maker AwardNon-finalist Talent AwardPreliminary Talent AwardQuality of Life Award Finalist Previously Miss Massachusetts' Outstanding Teen 2001Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant Michigan Kirsten Haglund Farmington Hills 19 Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" Winner Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Granddaughter of Miss Detroit 1944, Iora June Victor Minnesota Jennifer Hudspeth Apple Valley 23 Vocal, "Life of the Party" from The Wild Party Quality of Life Award Finalist Mississippi Kimberly Morgan Taylor 24 Vocal, "God Bless the Child" Top 16 Missouri Lindsay Casmaer Florissant 24 Ballet en Pointe, "Piano Fantasy" Montana Kristen Mantooth Lewistown 22 Lyrical Dance, "Beauty from Pain" Nebraska Ashley Bauer Scottsbluff 21 Vocal, "This Is My Life"' Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant Nevada Caleche Manos Reno 23 Vocal, "Love Is a Battlefield" Quality of Life Award Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant New Hampshire Rachel Barker Amherst 20 Ballet en Pointe, "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde Pyramid Scholarship for Public Relations & Marketing New Jersey Amy Polumbo Howell 22 Vocal, "Astonishing" from Little Women Non-finalist Talent Award New Mexico Jenny Marlowe Albuquerque 23 Vocal, "Born For This" New York Elisabeth Baldanza Oneonta 23 Contemporary Ballet, "Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime North Carolina Jessica Jacobs High Point 23 Ballet en pointe, "Spring" from The Four Seasons 4th runner-up Quality of Life Award Finalist North Dakota Ashley Young Grand Forks 20 Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus Miss Congeniality Ohio Roberta Camp Grove City 23 Vocal, "Blessed" Top 15 Miss Ohio USA 2006 Oklahoma Makenna Smith Oklahoma City 24 Vocal, "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up Oregon Kari Virding Portland 24 Vocal, "The Girl in 14G" Non-finalist Talent Award Previously Miss Oregon Teen USA 2000 Pennsylvania Rachel Brooks Broomall 24 Vocal, "Summertime" Non-finalist Talent Award Rhode Island Ashley Bickford Newport 22 Ballet en Pointe Miss PhotogenicPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardQuality of Life Award Finalist Previously Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2002Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2002 pageantLater Miss Connecticut USA 2010 South Carolina Crystal Garrett Columbia 21 Vocal, "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard Top 16 South Dakota Kate Wismer Britton 22 Classical Vocal, "The Doll Song" from The Tales of Hoffmann Tennessee Grace Gore Nashville 24 Vocal, "What a Wonderful Day" Top 16 Quality of Life Award Finalist Previously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2002 Texas Molly Hazlett Centerville 21 Character Jazz en Pointe, "Rich Man's Frug" from Sweet Charity Top 8 Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Utah Jill Stevens Kaysville 24 Vocal, "Shy" from Once Upon a Mattress Top 16 America's Choice Vermont Rachel Ann Cole Middlebury 22 Monologue, "Queen Hermione" from A Winter's Tale Virgin Islands Janeisha John Saint Croix 20 Jazz Dance Later Miss US Virgin Islands 2010 Virginia Hannah Kiefer High Point, NC 21 Classical Ballet en Pointe, "The Chocolate Dance" from The Nutcracker 3rd runner-up Charles and Theresa Brown Scholarship Eligible as a student at Hollins University Washington Elyse Umemoto Wapato 23 Popular Vocal, "Angels" 2nd runner-up 3rd runner-up at National Sweetheart 2006 pageantContestant on Survivor: South Pacific West Virginia Summer Wyatt Athens 21 Vocal, "Why Haven't I Heard from You" Wisconsin Christina Thompson Pleasant Prairie 23 Classical Violin, "Praeludium & Allegro" by Fritz Kreisler Top 8 Wyoming Jennifer McCafferty Scottsbluff, NE 23 Vocal, "Gimme, Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie Eligible to compete as a student at the University of Wyoming
Notes
Crossovers For the first time since Miss America 2003, four former Miss Universe Organization titleholders competed at Miss America. They are: Kari Virding (Oregon) - Miss Oregon Teen USA 2000 Ashley Bickford (Rhode Island) - Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2002, Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2002; Triple Crown winner Grace Gore (Tennessee) - Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2002 Cari Leyva (Alaska) - Miss Alaska USA 2004
References
External links Miss America official website