Miss America 1986, the 59th Miss America pageant, took place at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 14, 1985 and was broadcast on NBC Network.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 1986 – Susan Akin 1st runner-up – Sherry Thrift 2nd runner-up – Jonna Fitzgerald 3rd runner-up – Honey Castro 4th runner-up – Angela Tower Top 10 – Laurie Broderick – Laurie Keller – Alecia Masalkoski – Valerie Faber – Suellen Cochran
Awards Preliminary awards
Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness Alabama - Angela Tower Ohio - Suellen Cochran Mississippi - Susan Akin Talent Indiana - Laurie Broderick Ohio - Suellen Cochran Texas - Jonna Fitzgerald
Non-finalist awards Awards Contestant Talent Florida - Monica Farrell Hawaii - Jeanne Miyamoto Massachusetts - Lisa Kleypas Nebraska - Julie Meusburger Nevada - Sonja Nall New York - Jill Privateer Pennsylvania - Lea Schiazza Vermont - Erica Van Der Linde
Delegates +StateNameHometownAgeTalentPlacementSpecial AwardsNotes AlabamaAngela TowerBirmingham25Ballet en Pointe, "Chariots of Fire"4th runner-upPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardToured with the 1986 Miss America Gillette Show Troupe
Mother of Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen 2010, Scarlett Walker, and Miss Alabama's Outstanding Teen 2012 and Miss Alabama 2018, Callie Walker AlaskaKristina Christopher-TaylorPalmer20Comedy Monologue ArizonaDiane MartinPhoenix23Vocal, "The Man That Got Away" & "Maybe This Time" from CabaretLater Miss Arizona USA 1987 2nd runner-up at Miss USA 1987 ArkansasChristi TauntonCamden20Popular Vocal, "Remembering"Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship CaliforniaLisa DavenportSanta Cruz23Popular Vocal, "Once in my Lifetime"Previously named Miss California 1982 when original winner, Debra Maffett, won Miss America 1983
Became the first titleholder to hold a state title twice ColoradoLinda TrimmerDenver22Vocal, "He Touched Me" from Drat! The Cat! ConnecticutLorine GuagentiDerby21Jazz Dance DelawareLisa Anne PatrickNewark24Character Ballet en Pointe District of ColumbiaCherie WardAdelphi, MD22Original Drama FloridaMonica FarrellJacksonville21Classical Piano, "Prelude No. 5 in G Minor" by Sergei RachmaninoffNon-finalist Talent AwardSister of Miss New York 1984, Mary-Ann Farrell and Miss Illinois 1992, Kathleen Farrell
Later Miss Florida USA 1988
3rd runner-up at Miss USA 1988 GeorgiaSamantha MohrColumbus23Popular Vocal, "Wind Beneath My Wings" HawaiiJeanne MiyamotoHonolulu25Vocal, "Bali Ha'i"Non-finalist Talent Award IdahoNanette SouthRexburg19Alto Saxophone IllinoisKaren MoncrieffChicago21Popular Vocal, "Through the Eyes of Love" from Ice Castles IndianaLaurie BroderickElkhart21Dance/TwirlTop 10Preliminary Talent Award IowaSherri BowmanCouncil Bluffs24Piano KansasCarolyn Jo KirgisSalina25Vocal, "Our Love Is Here to Stay" Carolyn Jo Kirgis Johnson died in Phillipsburg, Kansas of complications with Multiple Sclerosis on July 24, 2022 at age 61. KentuckyLaurie Janine KellerNippa21Vocal/Ballet en Pointe, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"Top 10 LouisianaCarol CarterShreveport20Vocal, "Corner of the Sky" from PippinLater Miss Louisiana USA 1987 MaineMary Margaret NightingaleFort Fairfield20Vocal, "The Blue Danube" MarylandJennifer Louise CharltonBethesda22Vocal/Dance, "Last Blues Song" MassachusettsLisa KleypasCarlisle20Original Vocal Composition & Guitar, "Love You Are My Wings"Non-finalist Talent Award MichiganAlecia Rae MasalkoskiMuskegon23Karate KataTop 10Holds a black belt in karate
Later Miss Indiana USA 1987 MinnesotaElizabeth HunterAustin21Semi-classical Vocal, "Love Is Where You Find It" MississippiSusan AkinMeridian21Vocal, "You're My World"WinnerPreliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award MissouriLisa CoverdaleColumbia24Classical Piano MontanaJulie CulbertsonBillings19Jazz Dance NebraskaJulie MeusburgerLincoln22Flute, Carmen FantasyNon-finalist Talent Award NevadaSonja NallLas Vegas23Classical Ballet en Pointe, "Kitri's Variation" from Don QuixoteNon-finalist Talent Award New HampshireTami Jean BriseboisDeerfield24Modern Dance New JerseyToni GeorgianaCherry Hill21Acrobatic Dance, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" New MexicoValerie FaberHobbs26Classical Piano, "Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53"Top 10 New YorkJill PrivateerFredonia21Vocal, "Shine On, Harvest Moon"Non-finalist Talent Award North CarolinaJoni ParkerFayetteville24Vocal, "The Shadow of Your Smile" North DakotaElizabeth Anne JaegerFargo25Jazz DancePreviously Miss North Dakota USA 1983 4th runner-up at Miss USA 1983 OhioSuellen CochranHeath21Piano, "Variations on Chopsticks"Top 10Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Preliminary Talent Award OklahomaFelicia FergusonOklahoma City24Vocal, "You Don't Know Me" OregonDana KocksAshland21Classical Vocal, "Seguidilla" from Carmen PennsylvaniaLea SchiazzaPhiladelphia23Vocal, "Who's Sorry Now'Non-finalist Talent Award Rhode IslandLori BoucherPawtucket20Vocal, "Losing My Mind" South CarolinaSherry ThriftWestminster23Clogging, "Are You From Dixie?"1st runner-upPreviously South Carolina's Junior Miss 1980 South DakotaAmy DeHeerHot Springs21Vocal, "Who Will Buy?" from Oliver! TennesseeSonya PleasantMountain City22Vocal, "I Fall to Pieces" TexasJonna FitzgeraldTyler21Fiddle, "Csárdás" & "Orange Blossom Special"2nd runner-upPreliminary Talent Award UtahGina LarsenProvo21Popular Vocal, "Greatest Love of All" VermontErica Van Der LindeOld Bennington21Classical Piano, "Waldesrauschen"Non-finalist Talent Award VirginiaKimberly JohnsonCoeburn19Vocal & Piano, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" WashingtonHoney CastroMoses Lake19Vocal, "What Did I Have I Don't Have Now" from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever3rd runner-upDr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship West VirginiaRebecca PorterfieldMartinsburg21Jazz Dance, "Dance Attack" WisconsinMary Kay AndersonSt. Francis20Piano, "Frederik Chopin's Etude, Winter Wind, Op 25, No 11"Later Miss Wisconsin-USA 1988 WyomingTamra Jo DereemerHorse Creek22Popular Vocal, "God Bless the USA"
Judges Marian McKnight Chris Schenkel Jerome Hines Georgia Gibbs Gilbert Mitchell John Zerbe Cicely Tyson
References
External links Miss America official website