# Miss America 1989

Miss America 1989, the 62nd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 10, 1988 and was televised by the NBC Network. The pageant was moved a week early because of the 1988 Summer Olympics.
The winner, Minnesota's Gretchen Carlson, would later become a notable television journalist for Fox News & would later become the Chairwoman for the Miss America Organization.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 1989 | Minnesota – Gretchen Carlson |
| 1st Runner-Up | Colorado – Maya Walker |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Oklahoma – Lori Lee Kelley |
| 3rd Runner-Up | California – Marlise Sharlene Ricardos |
| 4th Runner-Up | Alabama – Jenny Lee Jackson |
| Top 10 | Florida – Melissa Aggeles  Hawaii – Desiree Moana Cruz  Louisiana – Valerie Brosset  Mississippi – Carla Haag  North Dakota – Tina Curran |

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | Florida - Melissa Aggeles Louisiana - Valerie Brosset Mississippi - Carla Haag |
| Talent | Minnesota - Gretchen Carlson Oklahoma - Lori Lee Kelley Utah - Sophia Christine Symko |

#### Non-finalist awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Talent | Arizona - Lisa Mandel Arkansas - Patti Thorn Missouri - Heather Smith New Jersey - Patricia Lynne Bowman New York - Mia Seminoff Ohio - Sarah Ann Evans Tennessee - Carrie Folks Utah - Sophia Christine Symko |

## Judges

* Walter Anderson
* Brian Boitano
* Joyce Brothers
* Richard Dysart
* William Farley
* Eileen Ford
* Eva Gabor
* Phyllis George
* Deborah Norville
* George Peppard
* Blair Underwood
* Lili Fini Zanuck

## Candidates

| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Special Awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Jenny Jackson | Auburn | 21 | Classical Piano, "Warsaw Concerto" | 4th runner-up | | |
| Alaska | Launa Middaugh | Wasilla | 19 | Piano Solo | | | |
| Arizona | Lisa Mandel | Tucson | 22 | Dance, "Steam Heat" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Arkansas | Patti Thorn | Hot Springs | 23 | Vocal, "Love is Where You Find It" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| California | Marlise Ricardos | San Pedro | 26 | Dramatic Vocal, "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables | 3rd runner-up | | |
| Colorado | Maya Walker | Eagle-Vail | 23 | Jazz Vocal, "Night and Day" | 1st runner-up | | Later Miss Oklahoma USA 1992 |
| Connecticut | Maria Caporale | Oakdale | 24 | Vocal, "What Did I Have That I Don't Have" from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever | | | |
| Delaware | Laura Kathleen Ludwig | Lewes | 21 | Popular Vocal, "Happy Days Are Here Again" | | | |
| District of Columbia | Patricia Morrin | Washington, D.C. | 23 | Jazz Dance | | | |
| Florida | Melissa Aggeles | St. Petersburg | 24 | Vocal/Dance, "Show Stopper" | Top 10 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | Previously National Sweetheart 1987 |
| Georgia | Frances Frazier | Rome | 26 | Popular Vocal, "Amen" | | | |
| Hawaii | Desiree Moana Cruz | Hilo | 26 | Vocal, "I Am Changing" | Top 10 | | |
| Idaho | Susan Hart | Rigby | 18 | Ballet | | | |
| Illinois | Dawn Spicuzza | Collinsville | 22 | Vocal, "If I Loved You" | | | |
| Indiana | Joni McMechan | Liberty | 21 | Semi-classical Vocal Medley | | | |
| Iowa | Tiffany DiBernardo | Bettendorf | 19 | Vocal, "I Go To Rio" | | | |
| Kansas | Candice Cae Pyle | Dodge City | 20 | Vocal, "Blue Moon" | | | |
| Kentucky | Mikka Darby | Salyersville | 19 | Middle Eastern Dance | | | |
| Louisiana | Valerie Brosset | West Monroe | 21 | Contemporary Ballet, "Singin' in the Rain" | Top 10 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| Maine | Lisa Kent | Gorham | 21 | Gymnastics/Jazz Dance | | | |
| Maryland | Lori Ann Windsor | Mount Airy | 20 | Dance/Baton Twirling | | | |
| Massachusetts | Diana Steckler | East Boston | 22 | Vocal, "Amazing Grace" | | | |
| Michigan | Krista Ann Blomgren | Livonia | 22 | Oboe | | | |
| Minnesota | Gretchen Carlson | Anoka | 22 | Classical Violin, Zigeunerweisen | Winner | Preliminary Talent Award | Former chairwoman of the Miss America Board of Directors Filed a lawsuit against then Fox News Chairman and CEO, Roger Ailes, claiming sexual harassment, which eventually settled for $20 million Former co-host of Fox & Friends and anchor of The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson |
| Mississippi | Carla Haag | Hattiesburg | 23 | Vocal Medley, "Here's to the Band" & "Alexander's Ragtime Band" | Top 10 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | Previously Mississippi's Junior Miss 1983 |
| Missouri | Heather Smith | Maryland Heights | 21 | Baton Twirling, "Whistler and his Dog" by Arthur Pryor | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Montana | Becky McRae | Miles City | 17 | Vocal, "On My Own" from Les Misérables | | | |
| Nebraska | Jodi Sue Miller | Omaha | 20 | Acrobatic Jazz Dance | | | Previously Nebraska's Junior Miss 1986 Mother of Miss Nebraska's Outstanding Teen 2014 and Miss Nebraska 2021, Morgan Holen |
| Nevada | Deborah Schuler | Incline Village | 22 | Vocal, "The Woman in the Moon" from A Star is Born | | | |
| New Hampshire | Laura Lourette | Sandown | 26 | Irish Festival Dance | | | |
| New Jersey | Patricia Bowman | Ocean City | 19 | Vocal, "Wind Beneath My Wings" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| New Mexico | Teresa Rodriquez | Clovis | 21 | Popular Vocal, "Anything For You" | | | Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 1985 |
| New York | Mia Seminoff | New York City | 23 | Classical Ballet en Pointe, La Esmeralda | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| North Carolina | Lee Beaman | Rocky Mount | 20 | Jazz en Pointe | | | |
| North Dakota | Tina Marie Curran | Grand Forks | 21 | Ballet en Pointe, "Capriccio Espagnol" | Top 10 | | |
| Ohio | Sarah Ann Evans | Van Wert | 23 | Vocal, "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from The Phantom of the Opera | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Oklahoma | Lori Kelley | Clinton | 23 | Classical Vocal, "Una Voce Poco Fa" from The Barber of Seville | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Oregon | Anna Denise Jones | Portland | 24 | Vocal, "Crazy" | | | |
| Pennsylvania | Denise Meyer | Pittsburgh | 21 | Popular Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" | | | |
| Rhode Island | Jenna Wims | Pawtucket | 21 | Vocal | | | |
| South Carolina | Anna Graham Reynolds | Greenwood | 23 | Vocal, "Mack the Knife" | | | Daughter of Miss South Carolina 1957, Cecilia Colvert |
| South Dakota | Kathryn Barnes | Sioux Falls | 22 | Vocal, "Miss Celie's Blues" from The Color Purple | | | |
| Tennessee | Carrie Folks | New Johnsonville | 20 | A capella Vocal, "Sweet Dreams" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Texas | Cathy Castro | McAllen | 22 | Ballet en Pointe, "Les toreadors" | | | First Hispanic woman to win Miss Texas |
| Utah | Sophia Symko | Salt Lake City | 21 | Piano, "Rhapsodie espagnole" | | Preliminary Talent Award Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Vermont | Julie Tidd | Barre | 25 | Jazz Dance | | | |
| Virginia | April Fleming | | 23 | Vocal, "New York State of Mind" | | | |
| Washington | Talia Watland | Poulsbo | 24 | Vocal, "Pour on the Power" | | | |
| West Virginia | Lisa Seagroves | Morgantown | 24 | Tap Dance, "They're Playing Our Song" | | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 1985 as Miss Georgia |
| Wisconsin | Jeanie Marie Pfeiffer | Franksville | 25 | Vocal, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" | | | |
| Wyoming | Wendi Willis | Laramie | 19 | Dance/Baton Twirling | | | |