# Miss America 2005

Miss America 2005, the 78th Miss America pageant, was held in Atlantic City on Saturday, September 18, 2004, following a week of events including the preliminary competition.
The pageant was broadcast live on ABC from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Although this was not known at the time, this pageant would be the last held in Atlantic City until 2013, as the pageant moved to Las Vegas, Nevada beginning in 2006. It was also the last one to be televised by an over-the-air network until 2011.
At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Ericka Dunlap crowned Deidre Downs of Alabama as her successor.

## Competition

All delegates compete in an interview competition with the judges, based on their platform issue, and also in the swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions.
Prior to the nationally televised competition, the delegates participate in three nights of preliminary competition (accounting for 30% of final night's score), where preliminary award winners are chosen in each category.
During the final telecast, following the announcement of the semi-finalists, the top ten competed in casual wear and swimsuit (each worth 15% and 10% of final night's score, respectively). The top five went on to compete in evening gown (15% of score) and took part in a quiz show (20% of score) that replaced the onstage question that year. The final two contestants (Miss Alabama 2004, Deidre Downs and Miss Louisiana 2004, Jennifer Dupont) standing advanced to the first-ever head-to-head talent competition (20% of score), the final event that determined who would become Miss America 2005.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 2005 | Alabama – Deidre Downs |
| 1st Runner-Up | Louisiana – Jennifer Dupont |
| 2nd Runner-Up | North Carolina – Kirstin Elrod |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Arkansas – Lacy Fleming |
| 4th Runner-Up | California – Veena Goel |
| Top 10 | Georgia – Danica Tisdale  Kansas – Megan Bushell  New York – Christina Ellington  Oklahoma – Elizabeth Kinney  Texas – Jamie Story |

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | Florida - Jenna Edwards Louisiana - Jennifer Dupont Utah - Amy Davis |
| Talent | California - Veena Goel Georgia - Danica Tisdale Massachusetts - Erika Ebbel |

#### Final night awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Casual wear | Louisiana - Jennifer Dupont |
| Swimsuit | Louisiana - Jennifer Dupont |
| Evening wear | Alabama - Deidre Downs |

#### Quality of Life award

| Results | Contestant | Platform |
| Winner | Alabama - Deidre Downs | Curing Childhood Cancer |
| 1st runner-up | Idaho - Elizabeth Barchas | Promoting Understanding of Individuals with Disabilities |
| 2nd runner-up | Nevada - Elizabeth Muto | ‘H.E.L.P.’ing Children Overcome Adversities |

#### Non-finalist awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Interview | Idaho - Elizabeth Barchas Kentucky - Maria Maldonado Nevada - Elizabeth Muto New Hampshire - Alyssa Spellman New Mexico - Susan Yara |
| Talent | Indiana - Sarah Wiley Iowa - Carolyn Nicholas Maine - Ami Vice Massachusetts - Erika Ebbel Missouri - Whitney Weeks New Jersey - Erica Scanlon Ohio - Amanda Beagle Tennessee - Ashley Eicher |

#### Other awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | Hawaii - Olena Rubin |
| Bernie Wayne Scholarship for the Performing Arts | Maine - Ami Vice |
| Leonard C. Horn for Legal Studies | Idaho - Elizabeth Barchas |

## Delegates

| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Deidre Downs | Birmingham | 24 | Vocal | Winner | Quality of Life | |
| Alaska | Christina Reasner | Sterling | 22 | Pop Vocal | | | |
| Arizona | Katherine Kennedy | Tempe | 24 | Baton Twirling | | | |
| Arkansas | Lacy Fleming | Hampton | 22 | Vocal | 3rd runner-up | | |
| California | Veena Goel | Laguna Hills | 22 | Jazz Dance | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Talent | |
| Colorado | Laura Tobey | Denver | 23 | Jazz Vocal | | | |
| Connecticut | Nikki Palmieri | North Haven | 22 | Jazz Dance | | | |
| Delaware | Linda Kurtz | Dover | 21 | Ballet | | | |
| District of Columbia | Therese Lizardo | Watchung | 24 | Tahitian / Hawaiian Dance | | | |
| Florida | Jenna Edwards | Miami | 23 | Pop Vocal | | Preliminary Swimsuit | Miss Florida USA 2007 |
| Georgia | Danica Tisdale | Atlanta | 23 | Vocal | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent | |
| Hawaii | Olena Rubin | Kilauea | 23 | Vocal | | Miss Congeniality | |
| Idaho | Elizabeth Barchas | Boise | 24 | Classical Piano | | Quality of Life 1st runner-up, Non-finalist Interview, Leonard C. Horn for Legal Studies | Triple Crown winner: Miss Idaho Teen USA 1998, Miss Idaho USA 2001 |
| Illinois | Michelle LaGroue | Naperville | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Indiana | Sarah Wiley | Carmel | 24 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent | |
| Iowa | Carolyn Nicholas | Clear Lake | 23 | Flute | | Non-finalist Talent | |
| Kansas | Megan Bushell | Wichita | 22 | Classical Vocal | Top 10 | | |
| Kentucky | Maria Maldonado | Lexington | 22 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Interview | |
| Louisiana | Jennifer Dupont | Plaquemine | 23 | Jazz Dance | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit | Triple Crown winner: Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998, Miss Louisiana USA 2000 |
| Maine | Ami Vice | Lisbon Falls | 23 | Classical Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent, Bernie Wayne Scholarship for the Performing Arts | |
| Maryland | Tiffany Jenkins | Silver Spring | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Massachusetts | Erika Ebbel | Cambridge | 23 | Classical Piano | | Preliminary Talent, Non-finalist Talent | |
| Michigan | Kelli Talicska | Auburn | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Minnesota | Tiffany Ogle | Waverly | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Mississippi | Jalin Wood | Waynesboro | 23 | Piano | | | Miss Mississippi USA 2007 |
| Missouri | Whitney Weeks | Chesterfield | 24 | Tap Dance | | Non-finalist Talent | |
| Montana | Evangelina Duke | Billings | 20 | Vocal | | | |
| Nebraska | Brook Matthews | Blair | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Nevada | Elizabeth Muto | Las Vegas | 24 | Monologue | | Quality of Life 2nd runner-up, Non-finalist Interview | |
| New Hampshire | Alyssa Spellman | Derry | 21 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Interview | |
| New Jersey | Erica Scanlon | Pitman | 22 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent | |
| New Mexico | Susan Yara | Pecos | 23 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Interview | |
| New York | Christina Ellington | New York City | 22 | Operatic Vocal | Top 10 | | |
| North Carolina | Kirstin Elrod | Cary | 23 | Classical Vocal | 2nd runner-up | | |
| North Dakota | Ashley Ford | Cavalier | 21 | Vocal | | | |
| Ohio | Amanda Beagle | Warren | 24 | Operatic Aria | | Non-finalist Talent | |
| Oklahoma | Elizabeth Kinney | Mooreland | 22 | Tap Dance | Top 10 | | |
| Oregon | Brook Roberts | Roseburg | 21 | Vocal | | | The Amazing Race 17 contestant along with her fellow home shopping host Claire Champlin |
| Pennsylvania | Victoria Bechtold | Johnstown | 21 | Classical Operatic Vocal | | | |
| Rhode Island | Aimée Belisle | North Smithfield | 24 | Ballet | | | |
| South Carolina | Ann Wood | Spartanburg | 23 | Lyrical Dance | | | |
| South Dakota | Kyra Korver | Mitchell | 23 | Broadway Vocal | | | |
| Tennessee | Ashley Eicher | Nashville | 24 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent | |
| Texas | Jamie Story | Bedford | 23 | Classical Piano | Top 10 | | |
| Utah | Amy Davis | Bountiful | 22 | Classical Piano | | Preliminary Swimsuit | 1st runner-up at Miss Utah USA 2007 |
| Vermont | Megan Yardley | Burlington | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Virginia | Mariah Rice | Mechanicsville | 24 | Lyrical Dance | | | |
| Virgin Islands | Kinila Callendar | Saint Thomas | 24 | Cultural Dance | | | |
| Washington | Allison Porter | University Place | 24 | Classical Violin | | | |
| West Virginia | Julia Burton | Petersburg | 22 | Pop Vocal | | | |
| Wisconsin | Molly Jean McGrath | Wisconsin Rapids | 22 | Theatrical Dance en Pointe | | | |
| Wyoming | Megan Reichert | Dayton | 19 | Classical Vocal | | | |