# Miss America 2010

Miss America 2010, the 83rd Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada at the Theatre for the Performing Arts of Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on Saturday, January 30, 2010. Miss America 2009, Katie Stam from Indiana, crowned her successor, Caressa Cameron from Virginia, at the end of the event.
Contestants from all 50 states along with District of Columbia, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico competed for the prestigious title. The pageant was broadcast live on TLC. This edition was the 5th year that Las Vegas hosted the pageant.
Fifteen contestants were selected as finalists. After competing in swimsuit, the judges selected the top 12, and three are eliminated. After competing evening gown, ten were selected to compete in talent, and two are eliminated. Then, three are eliminated and seven were selected prior to the final interview. At the end of the competition, the four runners-up were announced first, followed by the new Miss America winner.

## Judges

The seven judges for the competition were:
* actress and producer, Vivica A. Fox
* Miss America 2002, Katie Harman
* Olympic gymnast, Shawn Johnson
* musician, Dave Koz
* radio personality, Rush Limbaugh
* comedian and actor, Paul Rodriguez

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 2010 | Virginia – Caressa Cameron |
| 1st Runner-Up | California – Kristy Cavinder |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Tennessee – Stefanie Wittler |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Louisiana – Katherine Putnam |
| 4th Runner-Up | Kentucky – Mallory Ervin * |
| Top 7 | Hawaii – Raeceen Woolford  New Mexico – Nicole Miner |
| Top 10 | District of Columbia – Jen Corey  Nebraska – Brittany Jeffers  Texas – Kristen Blair |
| Top 12 | Colorado – Katie Layman  Oklahoma – Taylor Treat* |
| Top 15 | Arkansas – Sarah Slocum*  Indiana – Nicole Pollard  Oregon – CC Barber ** |
* - Selected by America's vote from the Miss America pre-pageant special, Miss America: Behind the Curtain. ** - For the first time in pageant history, after 14 finalists were selected, contestant was voted by her fellow competitors as the 15th finalist among the remaining 39 non-finalists.

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | New York - Alyse Zwick Oregon - CC Barber Puerto Rico - Miriam Pabón |
| Talent | California - Kristy Cavinder Michigan - Nicole Blaszczyk Virginia - Caressa Cameron |

#### Quality of Life award

| Results | Contestant | Platform |
| Winner | Oklahoma - Taylor Treat | Service Learning |
| 1st runner-up | New Hampshire - Lindsey Graham | - |
| 2nd runner-up | Nevada - Christina Keegan | - |
| Finalists | Alabama - Liz Cochran Iowa - Anne Langguth Kentucky - Mallory Ervin Minnesota - Brooke Kilgarriff Missouri - Tara Osseck Montana - Brittany Wiser Tennessee - Stefanie Wittler | Various |

#### Other awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | Hawaii - Raeceen Woolford |
| Dr. & Mrs. David B. Allman Scholarship | Pennsylvania - Shannon Doyle |
| Non-finalist Talent | Iowa - Anne Langguth Maine - Susie Stauble Michigan - Nicole Blaszczyk Minnesota - Brooke Kilgarriff Rhode Island - Julianna Strout |
musician, Brooke White

## Contestants

| State/district/terr. | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Liz Cochran | Helena | 21 | Contemporary Jazz Dance | | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Alaska | Sydnee Waggoner | Anchorage | 23 | Operatic Vocal | | | |
| Arizona | Savanna Troupe | Phoenix | 23 | Baton Twirling | | | |
| Arkansas | Sarah Slocum | Sheridan | 23 | Vocal | Top 15 | America's Choice | |
| California | Kristy Cavinder | Orange | 21 | Ballet en Pointe | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Colorado | Katie Layman | Aurora | 23 | Contemporary Lyrical Dance | Top 12 | | |
| Connecticut | Sharalynn Kuziak | Southington | 22 | Theatrical Tap Dance | | | |
| Delaware | Heather Lehman | Magnolia | 20 | Classical Opera | | | |
| District of Columbia | Jen Corey | Washington, D.C. | 22 | Operatic Vocal | Top 10 | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008 pageant |
| Florida | Rachael Todd | Oviedo | 22 | Irish Step Dance | | | |
| Georgia | Emily Cook | Marietta | 22 | Oboe | | | |
| Hawaii | Raeceen Woolford | Honolulu | 24 | Hula | Top 7 | Miss Congeniality | |
| Idaho | Kara Jackson | Nampa | 22 | Viola | | | |
| Illinois | Erin O'Connor | Evergreen Park | 20 | Ballet en Pointe | | | |
| Indiana | Nicole Lynn Pollard | Lafayette | 23 | Broadway Vocal | Top 15 | | |
| Iowa | Anne Michael Langguth | Iowa City | 22 | Violin | | Non-finalist Talent Award Quality of Life Finalist Award | Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2008 pageant |
| Kansas | Becki Ronen | Hutchinson | 21 | Classical Trumpet | | | |
| Kentucky | Mallory Ervin | Morganfield | 24 | Vocal | 4th runner-up | America's Choice Quality of Life Award Finalist | Contestant on The Amazing Race 17, 18, and 24 |
| Louisiana | Katherine Putnam | Shreveport | 23 | Piano | 3rd runner-up | CMN Miracle Maker Award | |
| Maine | Susanna Stauble | Gray | 22 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Maryland | Brooke Poklemba | Westminster | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Massachusetts | Amanda Kelly | Braintree | 23 | Vocal | | | Sister of Miss Massachusetts USA 2006, Tiffany Kelly Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008 pageant |
| Michigan | Nicole Blaszczyk | Novi | 22 | Lyrical Dance | | Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Minnesota | Brooke Kelly Kilgarriff | Eagan | 20 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent Award Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Mississippi | Anna Tadlock | Brandon | 23 | Vocal | | | |
| Missouri | Tara Osseck | St. Charles | 23 | Tap Dance | | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Montana | Brittany Wiser | Bozeman | 21 | Vocal | | Quality of Life Award Finalist | Later Miss Montana USA 2011 |
| Nebraska | Brittany Jeffers | Ogallala | 23 | Broadway Style Jazz Dance | Top 10 | | Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2007 pageant |
| Nevada | Christina Keegan | Gardnerville | 24 | Contemporary Ballet en Pointe | | Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up | |
| New Hampshire | Lindsey Graham | Sandown | 22 | Vocal / Piano | | Quality of Life Award 1st runner-up | |
| New Jersey | Ashley Shaffer | Perrineville | 22 | Classical Vocal | | | |
| New Mexico | Nicole Miner | Albuquerque | 23 | Vocal | Top 7 | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008 pageant |
| New York | Alyse Zwick | Scarsdale | 24 | Ballet en Pointe | | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008 pageant |
| North Carolina | Katherine Elizabeth Southard | Matthews | 23 | Ballet en Pointe | | | |
| North Dakota | Katie Ralston | Carrington | 22 | Musical Theatre Vocal | | | |
| Ohio | Erica Gelhaus | St. Henry | 21 | Classical Vocal / Opera | | | Previously National Sweetheart 2007 |
| Oklahoma | Taylor Treat | Ada | 22 | Ballet en Pointe | Top 12 | America's Choice Quality of Life Award | |
| Oregon | CC Barber | Scappoose | 23 | Dance | Top 15 | Contestants' Choice Preliminary Swimsuit Award | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant |
| Pennsylvania | Shannon Doyle | Wilkes-Barre | 24 | Tap Dance | | Dr. & Mrs. David B. Allman Scholarship | |
| Puerto Rico | Miriam Pabón | Las Piedras | 24 | Vocal | | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | 3rd runner-up at Miss World Puerto Rico 2008 pageant Top 12 at Miss International 2008 pageant |
| Rhode Island | Julianna Claire Strout | Watch Hill | 24 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| South Carolina | Kelly Sloan | Gray Court | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| South Dakota | Morgan Peck | Sioux Falls | 20 | Vocal | | | |
| Tennessee | Stefanie Wittler | Soddy-Daisy | 22 | Vocal | 2nd runner-up | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Texas | Kristen Blair | Southlake | 22 | Classical Vocal | Top 10 | | |
| Utah | Whitney Merrifield | Lindon | 19 | Classical Piano | | | |
| Vermont | Laura Hall | South Burlington | 22 | Musical Theater Dance | | | |
| Virgin Islands | Shayla Solomon | Saint Thomas | 24 | Steel Pan Drums | | | |
| Virginia | Caressa Cameron | Fredericksburg | 22 | Vocal | Miss America 2010 | Preliminary Talent Award | 4th runner-up at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant |
| Washington | Devanni Partridge | Auburn | 21 | Piano | | | |
| West Virginia | Talia Rochelle Markham | Ripley | 22 | Vocal | | | |
| Wisconsin | Kristina Smaby | Holmen | 22 | Dance en Pointe | | | |
| Wyoming | Anna Nelson | Rock Springs | 19 | Character Pointe Dance | | | |