Miss America 2014 was the 87th Miss America pageant, held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September 15, 2013.
Mallory Hagan of New York crowned Nina Davuluri of New York as her successor at the end of the event.
Overview
Previously held in the month of January in the Las Vegas Strip's Theatre for the Performing Arts (Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino), the Miss America Pageant returned to both its original location and September broadcast after nine years.Miss America Mallory Hagan in D.C.: Making most of short tenure Prior to the pageant, the partially restored Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ was played for the first time in more than 40 years. The program was co-hosted by Chris Harrison and Lara Spencer and was broadcast live on ABC. The panel of celebrity judges for the top 15 finalists were: Deidre Downs Gunn, Carla Hall, Barbara Corcoran, Amar'e Stoudemire, Lance Bass, Joshua Bell, and Mario Cantone.
In the final moments of the pageant, Miss California Crystal Lee and Miss New York Nina Davuluri were the last contestants left on the stage. They were approached by co-host Lara Spencer who asked how they were feeling at that moment. Davuluri stated that she and Lee were "both so proud. We’re making history right here, standing here as Asian-Americans.”"Groundbreaking Miss America Winner Miss New York Takes Home Pageant Crown." ABC News, September 16, 2013 However, shortly after Davuluri was crowned Miss America 2014, xenophobic and racist comments relating the proximity of the event date to the nine-eleven anniversary and to anti-Indian sentiment appeared in American social media. News agencies cited tweets that misidentified her as Muslim or Arab, associated her with groups such as Al-Qaeda, and questioned why she was chosen over Miss Kansas Theresa Vail. Davuluri said that she was prepared for the social media response because "as Miss New York, I was called a terrorist and very similar remarks." Davuluri is the second Miss Syracuse to win the title after Miss New York 1983, Vanessa Lynn Williams who was the first African American winner and Miss America 1984. Both Davuluri and Williams won when the pageant was held in Atlantic City and both faced a backlash over their respective wins. In addition, Congressperson Grace Meng compared Davuluri to Miss New York 1945, Bess Myerson (the first and to date only Jewish-American winner and Miss America 1945) who also faced bigotry during her time as Miss America.
Miss Kansas Theresa Vail denounced this response on her blog and in interviews. In addition, Vail, herself, was the first contestant to display tattoos in the swimsuit competition (the United States Army Dental Command insignia on her left shoulder and the Serenity Prayer along her right side). Nicole Kelly, Miss Iowa, became the first contestant born without part of one arm (her left forearm)Miss America contestant born without forearm: 'I'm just like you' and Miss Florida, Myrrhanda Jones, won the preliminary talent competition for her baton twirling routine in the week prior to the Miss America 2014 pageant, despite suffering a torn ACL and MCL in rehearsal just a few hours prior to her scheduled performance. During Miss America 2014, she performed with a decorated leg brace.
Results Placements Placement Contestant Miss America 2014 – Nina Davuluri 1st Runner-Up – Crystal Lee 2nd Runner-Up – Kelsey Griswold 3rd Runner-Up – Myrrhanda Jones 4th Runner-Up – Rebecca Yeh Top 10 – Kaitlyn Tarpey – Carly Mathis – Theresa Vail * – Christina Denny – Ivana Hall Top 12 – Shelby Ringdahl – Paula Mae Kuiper Top 15 – Amy Crain – Jenna Day – Chelsea Rick * – America's Choice
Contestants 53 contestants competed for the title. State Name Hometown Age Talent Placement Awards Notes Alabama Chandler Champion Leeds 20 Ballet en pointe Non-finalist Talent Award Alaska Michelle Taylor Anchorage 20 Piano Arizona Jennifer Smestad Gilbert 20 Vocal Arkansas Amy Crain Hot Springs 23 Contemporary Clogging Top 15 4th runner-up at National Sweetheart 2010 pageant California Crystal Lee San Francisco 22 Ballet en pointe 1st runner-up STEM Scholarship Award Previously Miss California's Outstanding Teen 2008Top 10 at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2009 pageant Colorado Meg Kardos Denver 23 Vocal Connecticut Kaitlyn Tarpey Stamford 21 Irish Step Dancing Top 10 Previously Miss Teen America 2008–09 representing New YorkContestant at National Sweetheart 2012 pageant Delaware Rebecca Jackson Kennett Square, PA 21 Broadway Vocal Non-finalist Talent Award District of Columbia Bindhu Pamarthi Washington, D.C. 23 Bollywood Dance Florida Myrrhanda Jones Gainesville 19 Baton 3rd runner-up Preliminary Talent Award Previously Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen 20092nd runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2010 pageant Georgia Carly Mathis Leesburg 22 Vocal Top 10 Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Contestant at National Sweetheart 2012 pageant Hawaii Crystal Lee Waipahu 22 Contemporary Dance Idaho Sarah Downs Emmett 23 Violin Four Points Award Illinois Brittany Smith Elmhurst 23 Irish Step Dancing Indiana Terrin Thomas Auburn 20 Vocal Iowa Nicole Kelly Keokuk 23 Vocal Born without left forearm Kansas Theresa Vail Manhattan 22 Vocal Top 10 America's Choice Section leader in the Kansas Army National Guard Medical DetachmentFirst Miss America contestant to display tattoos during the swimsuit portion of the competition Kentucky Jenna Day Louisville 21 Vocal Top 15 Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2011 pageant Louisiana Jaden Leach West Monroe 20 Vocal Non-finalist Talent Award Maine Kristin Korda Saco 21 Vocal Non-finalist Talent Award Previously Miss Maine's Outstanding Teen 2009 Maryland Christina Denny Owings Mills 22 Vocal Top 10 Later Miss Maryland USA 2016 Massachusetts Amanda Narciso Taunton 22 Dance 2nd runner-up at National Sweetheart 2011 pageant Michigan Haley Williams Saline 20 Baton Twirling Quality of Life Award Previously Miss Michigan's Outstanding Teen 2009 Minnesota Rebecca Yeh Nisswa 20 Violin 4th runner-up Preliminary Talent Award Mississippi Chelsea Rick Fulton 23 Vocal Top 15 Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness AwardSTEM Scholarship Award Missouri Shelby Ringdahl Columbia 21 Vocal Top 12 Montana Sheridan Pope Sidney 21 Tap Dance Nebraska Jacee Pilkington Minatare 21 Vocal Previously Miss Nebraska's Outstanding Teen 2009 Nevada Diana Sweeney Mound House 19 Lyrical Dance Contestant at National Sweetheart 2012 pageant New Hampshire Samantha Russo Nashua 22 Vocal Non-finalist Talent AwardPreliminary Talent Award New Jersey Cara McCollum Forrest City, AR 21 Piano New Mexico Alexis Duprey Las Cruces 22 Vocal Non-finalist Interview Award Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2009 New York Nina Davuluri Fayetteville 24 Bollywood Fusion Dance Winner First Indian American to win the title Previously Miss Michigan's Outstanding Teen 20061st runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2007 pageant North Carolina Johna Edmonds Lumberton 24 Vocal North Dakota Laura Harmon Grand Forks 23 Vocal Contestant at National Sweetheart 2011 pageant Ohio Heather Wells Warren 23 Dance Oklahoma Kelsey Griswold Tulsa 20 Vocal 2nd runner-up Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Oregon Allison Cook Klamath Falls 19 Violin Later Miss Oregon USA 2021 Pennsylvania Annie Rosellini Butler 21 Lyrical Dance Previously Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen 2005 Puerto Rico Shenti Lauren Barranquitas 24 African Folkloric Dance Rhode Island Jessica Marfeo Exeter 19 Vocal Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up South Carolina Brooke Mosteller Mount Pleasant 24 Vocal CMN Miracle Maker AwardMiss Congeniality (tie)Quality of Life Award 1st runner-up South Dakota Tessa Dee Mitchell 22 Gymnastics Dancing Later Miss South Dakota USA 2017 Tennessee Shelby Thompson Franklin 23 Vocal Texas Ivana Hall Cedar Hill 23 Vocal Top 10 Later Miss Oklahoma World 2015Top 22 at Miss World America 2015 pageant Utah Ciera Pekarcik Farmington 23 Vocal Miss Congeniality (tie) Vermont Jeanelle Achee Rochester 22 Vocal Virgin Islands Ashley Massiah Fredricksted 21 Majorette Dance Virginia Desiree Williams Newport News 24 Piano Previously National Sweetheart 2012Later Miss Virginia USA 2016 Contestant on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers Washington Reina Almon Yakima 21 Vocal Previously Miss Washington's Outstanding Teen 2009Contestant at National Sweetheart 2012 pageant West Virginia Miranda Harrison Charleston 19 Vocal Wisconsin Paula Mae Kuiper Mount Pleasant 19 Piano Top 12 Wyoming Rebecca Podio Newcastle 23 Piano Contestant at National Sweetheart 2012 pageant
Video clips Groundbreaking Miss America Winner Miss New York Takes Home Pageant Crown – ABC News, September 16, 2013 "After Defending Miss America From Racial Comments, George Takei Meets Nina Davuluri For First Time" – ABC News, September 18, 2013 (George Takei, Star Trek's Sulu). "Miss America 2014: How I Survived the Hate" – Bloomberg News, September 20, 2013. #StandWithNina: Duke Stands with Miss America – Duke University
References
External links Miss America official website