Miss America 1997, the 70th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 14, 1996, and televised by the NBC Network. Until the 2019 Pageant, this was the last time that NBC aired the Miss America pageant.
Results Placements Placement ContestantMiss America 1997 - Tara Dawn Holland1st Runner-Up - Erika Rachael Schwarz2nd Runner-Up – Patricia Regan Leines3rd Runner-Up – Alison McCreary4th Runner-Up – Kimberly Anne MassaroTop 10 – Melissa Short – Shani Lynn Nielsen – Veronica Marie Duka – Kari Litton – Michelle Martinez
Awards Preliminary awards
Awards Contestant Lifestyle and Fitness Hawaii - Melissa Short Kansas - Tara Dawn Holland Oregon - Patricia Regan Leines Talent Hawaii - Melissa Short Indiana - Shani Lynn Nielsen Oregon - Patricia Regan Leines
Quality of Life awards Results Contestant Platform Winner Alabama - Alison McCreary Hospice: A Special Kind of Caring 1st runner-up Kansas - Tara Dawn Holland - 2nd runner-up Louisiana - Erika Rachael Schwarz -
Other awards Awards Contestant Albert Marks Jr. Memorial Fund Interview Florida - Jamie Lynn Bolding Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Scholarship Indiana - Shani Lynn Nielsen Non-finalist Interview Award Florida - Jamie Lynn Bolding Non-finalist Talent Award Colorado - Michelle Stanley Florida - Jamie Lynn Bolding Massachusetts - Lori Flick North Carolina - Jennifer Roberts Ohio - Robyn Hancock Oklahoma - Amy Linn Duncan Virginia - Michelle Kang West Virginia - Kari Anne Safford Waterford Crystal Scholarship Wyoming - Rebecca Darrington
Delegates The Miss America 1997 delegates are: State Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes Alabama Alison McCreary Florence 22 Vocal, "How Great Thou Art" 3rd runner-up Quality of Life Winner Alaska Christine Buschur Eagle River 21 Vocal, "Another Op'nin, Another Show" & "I Got Rhythm" Arizona Erin Gingrich Yuma 21 Classical Piano, "Rhapsody in Blue" Arkansas Melonie McGarrah Rogers 22 Vocal, "I Will Always Love You" California Lyndsay Kahler Orange 22 Vocal, "Where Is It Written?" from Yentl Colorado Michelle Stanley Littleton 20 Dramatic Monologue from Quilters Non-finalist Talent Award Miss Colorado USA 1998 Connecticut Stacy Perrone Wolcott 22 Vocal, "This Time Around" Delaware Aimée Michelle Voshell Felton 18 Ballet en Pointe, "Return to Innocence" Florida Jamie Lynn Bolding Lakeland 22 Lyrical Ballet, "Can You Read My Mind" Non-finalist Talent AwardNon-finalist Interview Award Albert Marks Jr. Memorial Fund Interview Georgia Shea Olliff Augusta 24 Popular Vocal, "Can You Read My Mind" Hawaii Melissa Short Kaaawa 23 Operatic Vocal, "Ah! Je Veux Vivre" from Romeo et Juliette Top 10 Preliminary Swimsuit AwardPreliminary Talent Award Idaho Misty Marriah Esplin Preston 19 Classical Clarinet, "Concertino" by Carl Maria von Weber Illinois Tania Joy Gibson Lake Barrington 19 Vocal, "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard Indiana Shani Lynn Nielsen New Albany 24 Vocal, "In His Eyes" from Jekyll & Hyde Top 10 Preliminary Talent Award Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Scholarship Iowa Natasha Ann Courter Davenport 23 Tap Dance, "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" Kansas Tara Dawn Holland Overland Park 23 Operatic Vocal, "Où Va la Jeune Hindoue" from Lakmé Miss America 1997 Quality of Life 1st runner-up Preliminary Swimsuit Award Kentucky Veronica Marie Duka Campbellsville 19 Vocal, "Somewhere" from West Side Story Top 10 Louisiana Erika Rachael Schwarz Folsom 24 Original Piano Composition, "New Orleans Rhapsody" 1st runner-up Quality of Life 2nd runner-up Entertainment lawyer
Judge for Miss America 2006 pageant
Was "Pageant Coach" on the Miss America 2007 "Pageant School" TV movie Maine Sarah Nadeau Portland 20 Classical Vocal, "Addio" from La bohème Maryland Susan Alexander Silver Spring 24 Popular Vocal, "Sing Me" Massachusetts Lori Flick Boston 24 Interpretive Gymnastics Dance, Prologue from Beauty and the Beast Non-finalist Talent Award Michigan Jennifer Lynn Drayton Saginaw 22 Classical Piano, with original accompaniment, "Sonata Appassionata" Minnesota Sherry Johnson Owatonna 22 Vocal, "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" Mississippi Kari Litton Pontotoc 23 Vocal, "Cry" Top 10 Missouri Kimberly Anne Massaro St. Louis 24 Tap Dance, "Favorite Son" from The Will Rogers Follies 4th runner-up Montana Aubrey Jo Hiller Missoula 22 Vocal, "All the Things You Are" Miss Montana Teen USA 1992 Nebraska Rachel White Columbus 20 Vocal, "Via Dolorosa" Nevada Annette Albertson Reno 24 Vocal, "Luck Be a Lady" New Hampshire Michelle Tolson Manchester 22 Jazz Dance, "Hit Me with a Hot Note" from Sophisticated Ladies New Jersey Melanie Joyce Bell Vernon 20 Jazz Dance, "They Can't Take That Away From Me" New Mexico Trisha Williams Hobbs 19 Contemporary Gospel Vocal, "He's Always There" New York Tammy Harris Williamstown 24 Dance, "O Fortuna" North Carolina Jennifer Michelle Roberts Greensboro 21 Tap Dance, "Devil with a Blue Dress On" Non-finalist Talent Award North Dakota Stephanie Lee Hamilton Williston 18 Lyrical Dance, "On My Knees" Ohio Robyn Hancock Grand Rapids 21 Classical Ballet, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from The Nutcracker Non-finalist Talent Award Oklahoma Amy Linn Duncan Oklahoma City 23 Dramatic Vocal, "A Piece of Sky" from Yentl Non-finalist Talent Award Oregon Patricia Regan Leines Medford 24 Operatic Aria, "Chacun le Sait" from La fille du régiment 2nd runner-up Preliminary Swimsuit AwardPreliminary Talent Award Pennsylvania GiGi Gordon Butler 23 Lyrical Dance, "When a Man Loves a Woman" Rhode Island Elana Eve Chomiszak Providence 21 Modern Dance, "Nice Work If You Can Get It" South Carolina Angela Michelle Hughes Anderson 21 Tap Dance, "Sing, Sing, Sing" South Dakota Stephanie Camp Rapid City 20 Vocal, "I Am Changing" from Dreamgirls Tennessee Jeni Stephens Memphis 23 Popular Vocal, "Operator" Texas Michelle Martinez Dallas 23 Classical Piano, "Chopin's Ballade in G Minor" Top 10 Utah Nanette Pearson Pleasant Grove 23 Classical Ballet, La Boutique fantasque Vermont Nicole Juvan Essex Junction 22 Vocal, "Someday My Prince Will Come" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Virginia Michelle Kang Fredericksburg 22 Classical Piano, "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2" Non-finalist Talent Award Washington Janet Reasons Port Orchard 22 Semi-Classical Vocal, "Half a Moment" from Jeeves West Virginia Kari Anne Safford Point Pleasant 23 Vocal, "God Help the Outcasts" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame Non-finalist Talent Award Wisconsin Jennifer Streblow Oshkosh 18 Vocal, "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde Wyoming Rebecca Darrington Gillette 19 Comedy Vocal, "100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man" from Wonderful Town Waterford Crystal Scholarship
References
External links Miss America official website