Miss America 1988, the 61st Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 19, 1987, on NBC Network.
Pageant winner Kaye Lani Rae Rafko of Michigan became a registered nurse, and has done many years of volunteer work for medical charities and hospices. She co-hosts a public access television series called Only In Monroe for MPACT.
Among the contestants was Miss South Carolina, television personality Nancy O'Dell, entered as Nancy Humphries.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1988 – Kaye Lani Rae Rafko 1st Runner-Up – Patricia Brant 2nd Runner-Up – Stacie James 3rd Runner-Up – LaTanya Hall 4th Runner-Up – Toni Seawright Top 10 – Jennifer Anne Sauder – Tamara Alaine Walker – Robin Elizabeth Riley – Jo Thompson – Heidi Lammi
Awards
Preliminary awards Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness Georgia – Kelly Jerles Michigan – Kaye Lani Rae Rafko South Carolina – Nancy Evelyn Humphries Talent Louisiana – Patricia Brant Nevada – Stacie James Wisconsin – Maria Kim
Non-finalist awards Awards Contestant Talent Connecticut – Michele Dawn Eaton Georgia – Kelly Jerles Illinois – Cindi Hodgkins Indiana – Sheila Renee Stephen Maine – Laurie Wathen Massachusetts – Aurelie McCarthy Oklahoma – Leesa Cornett Wisconsin – Maria Kim
Candidates
+StateNameAgeHometownLocal TitleTalentPlacementSpecial AwardsNotes AlabamaKym Williams22BirminghamMiss All-American BowlVocal, "If We Only Have Love" AlaskaTeresa Murton25AnchorageMiss AnchorageVocal, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" ArizonaTheresa Light18TucsonMiss Western MaricopaVocal, "Somewhere" ArkansasCarole Lawson21ParagouldMiss University of ArkansasFlute/Piccolo, Medley from CarmenPreviously National Sweetheart 1986 CaliforniaSimone Stephens25CerritosMiss El CaminoStand-up Comedy ColoradoLaTanya Hall22BoulderMiss Boulder ValleyVocal, "I Am Changing"3rd runner-up ConnecticutMichele Dawn Eaton21SheltonMiss Fairfield CountyBaton Twirling, "They're Playing Our Song"Non-finalist Talent Award DelawareAnne Marie Jarka21NewarkMiss UniversityVocal/Piano, "Almost Over You"George Cavalier Talent Award District of ColumbiaCheryl Chapman21Arlington, VAVocal, "Come Rain or Come Shine" FloridaJennifer Anne Sauder22HomesteadMiss HomesteadSemi-classical Vocal, "If We Were in Love" from Yes, GiorgioTop 10 GeorgiaKelly Jerles20PerryMiss Cobb CountyVocal, "Where the Boys Are"Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardPreviously Miss Georgia Teen USA 1983 3rd runner-up at Miss Teen USA 1983 HawaiiLuana Alapa26HonoluluMiss Island InternationalVocal, "South Sea Sadie"Mother of Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2015, Kyla Hee IdahoHolly Hill20MeridianMiss MeridianVocal, "The Music and the Mirror" from A Chorus Line IllinoisCindi Hodgkins22SchaumburgMiss ChicagoVocal Medley, "My Man" & "But the World Goes Round"Non-finalist Talent Award IndianaSheila Stephen23UnionvilleMiss Hoosier HillsCountry Vocal, "Only You"Non-finalist Talent Award IowaRobin Wolfram24DavenportMiss Scott CountyPopular Vocal, "Only You" KansasSherri Lee Mayer26BrewsterMiss Harvey CountyDramatic Interpretation, "Clear Glass Marbles" from Talking With... KentuckyElizabeth McDowell21ProspectMiss Jefferson CountySemi-classical Vocal, "Falling in Love with Love" LouisianaPatricia Brant23MonroeMiss Red River ValleyVentriloquism, "Arizona Yodeler" & "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"1st runner-upPreliminary Talent Award MaineLaurie Wathen25Fort FairfieldMiss Northern AroostookPiano, "Symphony No. 9" by Ludwig van BeethovenNon-finalist Talent Award MarylandTamara Walker21KingsvilleMiss Montgomery CountyVocal, "Don't Rain on My Parade"Top 10 MassachusettsAurelie McCarthy24East BostonMiss East BostonMarimba, "Hava Nagila," "William Tell Overture," & "Joplin on Wood"Non-finalist Talent Award MichiganKaye Lani Rae Rafko23MonroeMiss Monroe CountyHawaiian-Tahitian DanceWinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award MinnesotaKatherine Killen20OwatonnaMiss OwatonnaVocal, "Tonight" MississippiToni Seawright23Moss PointMiss Mississippi University for WomenPopular Vocal, "I'm Going All the Way"4th runner-upFirst African American to be crowned Miss Mississippi MissouriRobin Elizabeth Riley25ColumbiaMiss ColumbiaBallet, "Overture" from Funny GirlTop 10Previously Miss Missouri USA 1983 MontanaJulie Reil19Miles CityMiss Missoula CountyVocal, "Being Alive" from CompanyDr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship NebraskaMindee Zimmerman23NorfolkMiss Platte ValleyVocal, "People" NevadaStacie James23Las VegasMiss Las VegasVocal, "On My Own" from Les Miserables2nd runner-upPreliminary Talent Award New HampshireKristen Gamans23ManchesterMiss New Hampshire CollegeGymnastics Character Dance New JerseyRobin Lange22MedfordMiss Burlington CountyDramatic Monologue New MexicoBecky Birdwell25HobbsMiss TucumcariBallet New YorkAlice Knisley21Staten IslandMiss Metropolitan New York CityVocal Medley North CarolinaLori Boggs26KannapolisMiss Cabarrus CountyPopular Vocal, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"Previously Miss North Carolina USA 1980 North DakotaSusan Campbell20Grand ForksMiss Grand ForksLyrical Dance OhioSusan Kay Johnson22ColumbusMiss CantonVocal, "Believe" OklahomaLeesa Cornett20NewcastleMiss NormanVocal, "If He Walked Into My Life" from MameNon-finalist Talent Award OregonTamara Fazzolari21PortlandMiss PortlandTap DanceMother of Miss Oregon 2015, Ali Wallace PennsylvaniaKatarina Sitaris24Wilkes-BarreMiss Wilkes-Barre/ScrantonClassical Vocal, "Quando me'n vo" from La bohemeCavalier Scholarship Rhode IslandCherilynn Cusick21ProvidenceMiss Providence CountyContemporary Ballet South CarolinaNancy Humphries21Myrtle BeachMiss Myrtle BeachPiano, "The Stars and Stripes Forever"Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardFormer co-host of Access Hollywood Current co-anchor of Entertainment Tonight South DakotaNajla Ghazi19BrookingsMiss South Dakota State UniversityOral Interpretations TennesseeRegina Athnos23ClarksvilleMiss Tennessee Peach FestivalFlute Medley, "I'll Fly Away" & "Amazing Grace" TexasRita Jo Thompson22LufkinMiss GreenvilleJazz Dance, "An American Trilogy"Top 10 UtahMarianne Bales21OremMiss OremLyrical Dance & Vocal, "Let Me Dance For You" VermontSusan Bora26ColchesterPercussion, "Opus D Opus - The Tonight Show Theme" VirginiaHeidi Lammi26Alexandria Miss Northern VirginiaBallet en Pointe, Grande TarantelleTop 10 WashingtonSharon Dean21IssaquahMiss IssaquahVocal Medley West VirginiaSaundra Patton22MorgantownMiss North CentralVariety Act WisconsinMaria Kim20ShorewoodMiss MadisonClassical Piano, "Fantaisie-Impromptu"Preliminary Talent Award Non-finalist Talent AwardPreviously Miss Wisconsin National Teenager 1983 Previously Miss Wisconsin Teen USA 1985 WyomingTerrilynn Hove21CasperMiss LaramieVocal Medley
References
External links Miss America official website