# Miss America 2008

Miss America 2008, the 81st Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, on Saturday, January 26, 2008.
The pageant was broadcast live on TLC from the Theatre for the Performing Arts at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, only the third time that the pageant had been held outside Atlantic City.
Kirsten Haglund (Michigan) was crowned Miss America 2008 by Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson.

## Miss America: Reality Check

The pageant's new network, TLC, premiered a four-week reality competition, titled Miss America: Reality Check, on January 4, 2008, hosted by Ugly Betty actor Michael Urie. The premise of the show is to show the contestants preparing for the pageant and to update the image of the Miss America pageant, which had seen a decline in popularity over the last few decades. In addition, viewers were able to vote online and choose one of the delegates to be a finalist in the pageant.

## Judges

The seven judges for the competition were fashion designer Trace Ayala, magazine editor Sarah Ivens, Olympic athlete and gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee, casting director Jason La Padura, personal trainer Kim Lyons, television news anchor Robin Meade, and motivational speaker James Arthur Ray.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 2008 | Michigan – Kirsten Haglund |
| 1st Runner-Up | Indiana – Nicole Rash |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Washington – Elyse Umemoto |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Virginia – Hannah Kiefer |
| 4th Runner-Up | North Carolina – Jessica Jacobs |
| Top 8 | California – Melissa Chaty  Texas – Molly Hazlett  Wisconsin – Christina Thompson |
| Top 10 | Georgia – Leah Massee  Iowa – Diana Reed |
| Top 16 | Arkansas – Katie Bailey  Florida – Kylie Williams  Mississippi – Kimberly Morgan  South Carolina – Crystal Garrett  Tennessee – Grace Gore  Utah – Jill Stevens § |
§ – America's Choice

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | Michigan – Kirsten Haglund  Rhode Island – Ashley Bickford  Texas – Molly Hazlett |
| Talent | Connecticut – Dana Daunis  Iowa – Diana Reed  Massachusetts – Valerie Amaral |

#### Quality of Life award

| Results | Contestant | Platform |
| Winner | Nevada – Caleche Manos | M.A.D.D. – Prevention of Drinking and Driving Through Education |
| 1st runner-up | Florida – Kylie Williams | - |
| 2nd runner-up | Oklahoma –– Makenna Smith | - |
| Finalists | Alabama – Jamie Langley Massachusetts – Valerie Amaral Minnesota – Jennifer Hudspeth Rhode Island – Ashley Bickford Tennessee – Grace Gore | Various |

#### Other awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | North Dakota – Ashley Young |
| Non-finalist Talent | Connecticut – Dana Daunis District of Columbia – Shayna Rudd Idaho – Sadie Quigley Massachusetts – Valerie Amaral New Jersey – Amy Polumbo Oregon – Kari Virding Pennsylvania – Rachel Brooks |
| Pyramid Scholarship for Public Relations & Marketing | New Hampshire – Rachel Barker |

## Delegates

| State/district | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Special awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Jamie Langley | Wadley | 24 | Vocal, "Listen" | | CMN Miracle Maker Award 2nd runner-up Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Alaska | Cari Leyva | Anchorage | 23 | Vocal, "Habanera" from Carmen | | | Previously Miss Alaska USA 2004 |
| Arizona | Nicole Turner | Phoenix | 24 | Jazz Dance, "Proud Mary" | | | |
| Arkansas | Katie Bailey | Conway | 25 | Vocal, "Feeling Good" | Top 16 | | |
| California | Melissa Chaty | Ukiah | 23 | Operatic Vocal, "The Jewel Song" from Faust | Top 8 | | Previously Miss Teenage California 2003 |
| Colorado | Maggie Ireland | Littleton | 22 | Irish Step Dance, "Dueling Violins" & "Footloose" | | | |
| Connecticut | Dana Daunis | Watertown | 22 | Vocal, "Let Him Fly" | | Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Talent Award | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant |
| Delaware | Brittany Dempsey | Dover | 20 | Jazz Dance, "Rhythm of the Night" | | | Previously Delaware's Junior Miss 2005 |
| District of Columbia | Shayna Rudd | Philadelphia | 22 | Jazz Dance, "Feeling Good" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Florida | Kylie Williams | Jasper | 24 | Country Vocal, "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart" | Top 16 | Quality of Life Award 1st runner-up | |
| Georgia | Leah Massee | Fitzgerald | 22 | Vocal, "If I Had My Way" | Top 10 | | |
| Hawaii | Ashley Layfield | Kane'ohe | 21 | Lyrical Dance, "Listen" from Dreamgirls | | | Sister of Miss Hawaii USA 2008, Jonelle Layfield 2nd runner-up in Miss New York USA 2012 and 2013 pageants |
| Idaho | Sadie Quigley | Idaho Falls | 19 | Piano, "Devilish Inspiration, Op. 4, No. 4" by Sergei Prokofiev | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Illinois | Ashley Hatfield | Anna | 24 | Vocal, "To Love You More" | | | |
| Indiana | Nicole Rash | Plymouth | 23 | Vocal, "Bandito" | 1st runner-up | | Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant Later Ms. America 2012 Later Mrs. America 2018 (under married name, Nicole Cook) Top 6 at Mrs. World 2018 pageant |
| Iowa | Diana Reed | Norwalk | 23 | Baton, "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Kansas | Alyssa George | Minneapolis | 21 | Classical Piano | | | |
| Kentucky | Kaitlynne Postel | Lexington | 21 | Vocal, "So Much Better" from Legally Blonde | | | Daughter of Miss Maryland 1982, Lynne Graham Postel |
| Louisiana | Amanda Joseph | Pineville | 21 | Ballet en Pointe, "Canned Heat" | | | |
| Maine | Tara Allain | Biddeford | 22 | Dance, "Hangin' By a Thread" | | | |
| Maryland | Shana Powell | Bowie | 22 | Classical Vocal, "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide | | | |
| Massachusetts | Valerie Amaral | Acushnet | 22 | Vocal, "Anyway" | | CMN Miracle Maker Award Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Talent Award Quality of Life Award Finalist | Previously Miss Massachusetts' Outstanding Teen 2001 Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant |
| Michigan | Kirsten Haglund | Farmington Hills | 19 | Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | Granddaughter of Miss Detroit 1944, Iora June Victor |
| Minnesota | Jennifer Hudspeth | Apple Valley | 23 | Vocal, "Life of the Party" from The Wild Party | | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Mississippi | Kimberly Morgan | Taylor | 24 | Vocal, "God Bless the Child" | Top 16 | | |
| Missouri | Lindsay Casmaer | Florissant | 24 | Ballet en Pointe, "Piano Fantasy" | | | |
| Montana | Kristen Mantooth | Lewistown | 22 | Lyrical Dance, "Beauty from Pain" | | | |
| Nebraska | Ashley Bauer | Scottsbluff | 21 | Vocal, "This Is My Life"' | | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant |
| Nevada | Caleche Manos | Reno | 23 | Vocal, "Love Is a Battlefield" | | Quality of Life Award | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant |
| New Hampshire | Rachel Barker | Amherst | 20 | Ballet en Pointe, "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde | | Pyramid Scholarship for Public Relations & Marketing | |
| New Jersey | Amy Polumbo | Howell | 22 | Vocal, "Astonishing" from Little Women | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| New Mexico | Jenny Marlowe | Albuquerque | 23 | Vocal, "Born For This" | | | |
| New York | Elisabeth Baldanza | Oneonta | 23 | Contemporary Ballet, "Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime | | | |
| North Carolina | Jessica Jacobs | High Point | 23 | Ballet en pointe, "Spring" from The Four Seasons | 4th runner-up | | |
| North Dakota | Ashley Young | Grand Forks | 20 | Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus | | Miss Congeniality | |
| Ohio | Roberta Camp | Grove City | 23 | Vocal, "Blessed" | | | |
| Oklahoma | Makenna Smith | Oklahoma City | 24 | Vocal, "Wheels of a Dream" from Ragtime | | Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up | |
| Oregon | Kari Virding | Portland | 24 | Vocal, "The Girl in 14G" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | Previously Miss Oregon Teen USA 2000 |
| Pennsylvania | Rachel Brooks | Broomall | 24 | Vocal, "Summertime" | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Rhode Island | Ashley Bickford | Newport | 22 | Ballet en Pointe | | Miss Photogenic Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Quality of Life Award Finalist | Previously Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2002 Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2002 pageant Later Miss Connecticut USA 2010 |
| South Carolina | Crystal Garrett | Columbia | 21 | Vocal, "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard | Top 16 | | |
| South Dakota | Kate Wismer | Britton | 22 | Classical Vocal, "The Doll Song" from The Tales of Hoffmann | | | |
| Tennessee | Grace Gore | Nashville | 24 | Vocal, "What a Wonderful Day" | Top 16 | Quality of Life Award Finalist | Previously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2002 |
| Texas | Molly Hazlett | Centerville | 21 | Character Jazz en Pointe, "Rich Man's Frug" from Sweet Charity | Top 8 | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
| Utah | Jill Stevens | Kaysville | 24 | Vocal, "Shy" from Once Upon a Mattress | Top 16 | America's Choice | |
| Vermont | Rachel Ann Cole | Middlebury | 22 | Monologue, "Queen Hermione" from A Winter's Tale | | | |
| Virgin Islands | Janeisha John | Saint Croix | 20 | Jazz Dance | | | Later Miss US Virgin Islands 2010 |
| Virginia | Hannah Kiefer | High Point, NC | 21 | Classical Ballet en Pointe, "The Chocolate Dance" from The Nutcracker | 3rd runner-up | Charles and Theresa Brown Scholarship | Eligible as a student at Hollins University |
| Washington | Elyse Umemoto | Wapato | 23 | Popular Vocal, "Angels" | 2nd runner-up | | 3rd runner-up at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant Contestant on Survivor: South Pacific |
| West Virginia | Summer Wyatt | Athens | 21 | Vocal, "Why Haven't I Heard from You" | | | |
| Wisconsin | Christina Thompson | Pleasant Prairie | 23 | Classical Violin, "Praeludium & Allegro" by Fritz Kreisler | Top 8 | | |
| Wyoming | Jennifer McCafferty | Scottsbluff, NE | 23 | Vocal, "Gimme, Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie | | | Eligible to compete as a student at the University of Wyoming |