# Miss America 2014

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. 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.” 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) 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 | New York – Nina Davuluri |
| 1st Runner-Up | California – Crystal Lee |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Oklahoma – Kelsey Griswold |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Florida – Myrrhanda Jones |
| 4th Runner-Up | Minnesota – Rebecca Yeh |
| Top 10 | Connecticut – Kaitlyn Tarpey  Georgia – Carly Mathis  Kansas – Theresa Vail *  Maryland – Christina Denny  Texas – Ivana Hall |
| Top 12 | Missouri – Shelby Ringdahl  Wisconsin – Paula Mae Kuiper |
| Top 15 | Arkansas – Amy Crain  Kentucky – Jenna Day  Mississippi – 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 2008 Top 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 York Contestant 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 2009 2nd 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 Detachment First 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 Award STEM 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 Award Preliminary 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 2006 1st 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 Award Miss 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 2015 Top 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 2012 Later Miss Virginia USA 2016 Contestant on Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers |
| Washington | Reina Almon | Yakima | 21 | Vocal | | | Previously Miss Washington's Outstanding Teen 2009 Contestant 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