# Miss America 1987

Miss America 1987, the 60th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 13, 1986 on NBC Network.
Although an entry representing the city of Memphis had been victorious in the pageant of 1947, Kellye Cash became the first woman with the title Miss Tennessee to win the crown. She is a great-niece of the singer Johnny Cash.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 1987 | Tennessee – Kellye Cash |
| 1st runner-up | Virginia – Julianne Smith |
| 2nd runner-up | South Carolina – Dawn Elizabeth Smith |
| 3rd runner-up | Michigan – Kelly Lynn Garver |
| 4th runner-up | Missouri – Tamara Lynn Tungate |
| Top 10 | Alabama – Angela Callahan  Arkansas – Julie Anne Russell  Georgia – Marlesa Ball  Mississippi – Kimberly McGuffee  Texas – Stephany Samone |

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | Missouri - Tamara Tungate South Carolina - Dawn Elizabeth Smith (tie) Tennessee - Kellye Cash (tie) Virginia - Julianne Smith |
| Talent | Michigan - Kelly Garver Tennessee - Kellye Cash Texas - Stephany Samone |

#### Non-finalist awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Talent | California - Lisa Kahre Colorado - Carol Janson Florida - Molly Scott Pesce Hawaii - Cheryl Bartlett Kentucky - Melinda Cumberledge Louisiana - Amanda Mainord Oklahoma - Mignon Merchant Vermont - Michelle Shelley Dawson |

## Contestants

| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Special Awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Angela Callahan | Birmingham | 20 | Piano, "The Windmills of Your Mind" | Top 10 | | |
| Alaska | Jerri Morrison | Anchorage | 22 | Tap Dance | | | |
| Arizona | Terri Kettunen | Yuma | 21 | Classical Piano | | | Sister of Miss Arizona 1989, Tammy Kettunen |
| Arkansas | Julie Russell | Fort Smith | 22 | Classical Piano with Narration | Top 10 | | |
| California | Lisa Kahre | Salinas | 19 | Flute, "Carnival of Venice" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Colorado | Carol Janson | Boulder | 21 | Piano, "Revolutionary Etude" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Connecticut | Lorraine Hudson | North Haven | 24 | Vocal, "Something's Coming" from West Side Story | | | |
| Delaware | Lori Ann Scott | Wilmington | 23 | Popular Vocal, "Love is Spreading All Over" | | | |
| District of Columbia | Karen Watson | Arlington, VA | 25 | Classical Ballet en Pointe | | | |
| Florida | Molly Pesce | Longwood | 23 | Vocal Medley from Cabaret | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Georgia | Marlesa Ball | Thomasville | 23 | Vocal, "Amazing Grace" | Top 10 | | |
| Hawaii | Cheryl Bartlett | Honolulu | 23 | Vocal, "America the Beautiful" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Idaho | Jennifer Hovey | Twin Falls | 19 | Violin | | | |
| Illinois | Lisa Heussner | Pekin | 21 | Dramatic Interpretation, "Emily Dickinson, Portrait of a Poet" | | | |
| Indiana | Susan Sailor | Elkhart | 20 | Piano | | | |
| Iowa | Darcy Benton | Delmar | 19 | Vocal, "Someone to Watch Over Me" | | | |
| Kansas | Heather Lynn Clark | Benton | 23 | Vocal & Sign Language, "I'll Never Say Goodbye" | | | |
| Kentucky | Melinda Cumberledge | Lexington | 23 | Semi-classical Vocal, "Till There was You" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Louisiana | Amanda Mainord | Baton Rouge | 20 | Vocal, "When You Wish Upon a Star" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Maine | Victoria Reed | Falmouth | 26 | Vocal, "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" | | | |
| Maryland | Katrina Owens | Pikesville | 24 | Jazz Dance | | | |
| Massachusetts | Kathleen Callahan | Revere | 23 | Popular Vocal, "Come Rain or Come Shine" | | | |
| Michigan | Kelly Lynn Garver | Farmington Hills | 23 | Fiddle Medley, "Orange Blossom Special" & "New Country" | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Minnesota | Kristine Fouks | Stillwater | 23 | Vocal | | | |
| Mississippi | Kimberly McGuffee | Mendenhall | 23 | Popular Vocal, "Inseparable" | Top 10 | | |
| Missouri | Tamara Tungate | St. Peters | 21 | Vocal, "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| Montana | Kamala Compton | Havre | 21 | Gymnastics Dance | | | |
| Nebraska | Donna Schieffer | Columbus | 19 | Modern Dance | | | |
| Nevada | Kelsey Kara | Las Vegas | 23 | Flamenco Dance | | | |
| New Hampshire | Lisa Vandecasteele | Salem | 22 | Dance/Baton Twirling | | | |
| New Jersey | Karyn Zosche | Pine Brook | 25 | Piano, Rhapsody in Blue | | | |
| New Mexico | Emily Franklin | Albuquerque | 19 | Vocal Medley | | | |
| New York | Dawan McPeak | New York City | 25 | Gymnastics Dance | | | Later Mrs. Texas 2001 |
| North Carolina | Karen Bloomquist | Durham | 22 | Piano | | | |
| North Dakota | Barbara Kerzman | Minot | 23 | Semi-classical Vocal, "Love is Where You Find It" | | | |
| Ohio | Mary Zilba | Toledo | 22 | Vocal, "My Mammy" | | | Sister of Miss Ohio 1981, Juliana Zilba Later appeared on The Real Housewives of Vancouver |
| Oklahoma | Mignon Merchant | Oklahoma City | 25 | Stand-up Comedy | | Non-finalist Talent Award | Previously Miss Oklahoma USA 1983 Top 10 at Miss USA 1983 |
| Oregon | Jana Svea Peterson | Newport | 22 | Vocal Medley | | | |
| Pennsylvania | Darlene Deeley | Philadelphia | 25 | Gymnastics/Dance Routine | | | |
| Rhode Island | Toni Langello | Warwick | 20 | Vocal, "My Man" | | | |
| South Carolina | Dawn Smith | Columbia | 22 | Classical Vocal, "Je Veux Vivre" from Roméo et Juliette | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | Sister was brutally murdered a year prior to her winning Miss South Carolina (events later made into investigative documentary dramas) Won "Miss Pageant Rewind" on What Not to Wear against two fellow pageant contestants |
| South Dakota | Julie Hedin | Watertown | 21 | Flute | | | |
| Tennessee | Kellye Cash | Milan | 21 | Piano/Vocal, "I'll Be Home" | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Preliminary Talent Award | Mother of Miss Virginia 2021, Tatum Shepard |
| Texas | Stephany Samone | Dallas | 25 | Country Vocal, "Stand by Your Man" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Utah | Donna Clark | Salt Lake City | 22 | Ballet | | | |
| Vermont | Michelle Dawson | Charlotte | 18 | Vocal, "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Virginia | Julianne Smith | Yorktown | 21 | Vocal, "Golden Rainbow" | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| Washington | Melanie Cobb | Vancouver | 24 | Vocal, "Let's Hear it for Me" from Funny Lady | | | |
| West Virginia | Shannon Barill | Charleston | 23 | Jazz en Pointe | | | |
| Wisconsin | Mara Nesemann | Brookfield | 20 | Gymnastics Dance Routine, "1980" | | | |
| Wyoming | Lacy J. Reeves | Laramie | 22 | Vocal, "You're Gonna Hear from Me" from Inside Daisy Clover | | | |