# Miss America 2009

Miss America 2009, the 82nd Miss America pageant, was held on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada on Saturday, January 24, 2009.
The pageant was broadcast live on TLC from the Theatre for the Performing Arts at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, only the fourth time that the pageant has been held outside Atlantic City, New Jersey.

## Judges

The seven judges for the competition were:
* former model, Paige Adams-Geller
* actress and singer, Laura Bell Bundy
* Miss America 1999, Nicole Johnson
* Olympic swimmer, Cullen Jones
* casting director, Beth Klein
* hairstylist, Ken Pavés

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss America 2009 | Indiana – Katie Stam * |
| 1st Runner-Up | Georgia – Chastity Hardman * |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Iowa – Olivia Myers |
| 3rd Runner-Up | New York – Leigh-Taylor Smith |
| 4th Runner-Up | Florida – Sierra Minott |
| Top 7 | California – Jackie Geist  Tennessee – Ellen Carrington |
| Top 10 | District of Columbia – Kate Grinold  Hawaii – Nicole Fox  Michigan – Ashlee Baracy |
| Top 12 | Arkansas – Ashlen Batson  Kentucky – Emily Cox |
| Top 15 | Alabama – Amanda Tapley *  Delaware – Galen Giaccone  South Dakota – Alexandra Hoffman * |
* - America's Choice chosen from TLC show, Miss America: Countdown to the Crown

### Awards
#### Preliminary awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Lifestyle and Fitness | Indiana - Katie Stam Mississippi - Christine Kozlowski New York - Leigh-Taylor Smith |
| Talent | Delaware - Galen Giaccone Georgia - Chastity Hardman Vermont - Ashley Wheeler |

#### Quality of Life award

| Results | Contestant | Platform |
| Winner | Kentucky - Emily Cox | Uniquely Me: Promoting Self-Esteem in Adolescent Girls |
| 1st runner-up | Michigan - Ashlee Baracy | - |
| 2nd runner-up | Alabama - Amanda Tapley | - |
| Finalists | Hawaii - Nicole Fox Indiana - Katie Stam North Carolina - Amanda Watson Rhode Island - Francesca Simone Virginia - Tara Wheeler | Various |

#### Other awards

| Awards | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | Texas - Rebecca Robinson |
| Non-finalist Talent | Arizona - Erin Nurss Pennsylvania - Kendria Perry South Carolina - Anna Perry Utah - Kayla Barclay Vermont - Ashley Wheeler |

## Delegates

| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Awards | Notes |
| Alabama | Amanda Tapley | Birmingham | 20 | Classical Piano | Top 15 | Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up | Received a "Golden Sash" and automatic Top 15 placement at Miss America 2009 pageant on Miss America: Countdown to the Crown |
| Alaska | Stephany Jeffers | Anchorage | 23 | Vocal | | Charles and Theresa Brown Scholarship | |
| Arizona | Erin Nurss | Sierra Vista | 23 | Dance | | Non-finalist Talent Award | Sister of Miss Arizona's Outstanding Teen 2005, Adrienne Nurss Contestant at National Sweetheart 2007 pageant |
| Arkansas | Ashlen Batson | Newark | 21 | Flute | Top 12 | | |
| California | Jackie Geist | Vacaville | 22 | Ballet | Top 7 | | 1st runner-up at Miss California Teen USA 2002 pageant Previously Miss Teen of the Nation 2004 3rd runner-up at Miss Teenage California 2004 pageant |
| Colorado | Jamie Dukehart-Conti | Arvada | 23 | Jazz Dance | | | Later was NFL cheerleader for the Denver Broncos |
| Connecticut | Ashley Glenn | Hamden | 23 | Lyrical Dance | | | |
| Delaware | Galen Giaccone | Wyoming | 20 | Piano | Top 15 | Preliminary Talent Award | Previously Delaware's Junior Miss 2006 |
| District of Columbia | Kate Marie Grinold | Washington, D.C. | 22 | Ballet | Top 10 | | |
| Florida | Sierra Minott | Fort Myers | 20 | Jazz Dance | 4th runner-up | | Previously Miss Florida's Outstanding Teen 2005 3rd runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2006 pageant |
| Georgia | Chastity Hardman | Columbus | 24 | Vocal, "Home" from The Wiz | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | Second African-American to represent Georgia in the Miss America pageant Received a "Golden Sash" and automatic Top 15 placement at Miss America 2009 pageant on Miss America: Countdown to the Crown |
| Hawaii | Nicole Fox | Honolulu | | Traditional Hawaiian Dance | Top 10 | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Idaho | Elise Davis | Idaho Falls | 20 | Vocal | | | |
| Illinois | Katie Lorenz | Plymouth, MI | 24 | Lyrical Dance | | | |
| Indiana | Katie Stam | Seymour | 21 | Vocal | Miss America 2009 | Preliminary Swimsuit Award Quality of Life Award Finalist | Previously Miss Kentuckiana Teen 2002 Previously Indiana's Junior Miss 2005 2nd runner-up at America's Junior Miss 2005 pageant Received a "Golden Sash" and automatic Top 15 placement at Miss America 2009 pageant on Miss America: Countdown to the Crown |
| Iowa | Olivia Myers | Sperry | 22 | Tap Dance | 2nd runner-up | | |
| Kansas | Emily Deaver | Augusta | 19 | Vocal / Piano | | | |
| Kentucky | Emily Cox | Campbellsville | 22 | Piano | Top 12 | Quality of Life Award Winner | Niece of Miss Kentucky 1990, Nancy Cox and daughter of Ricky L. Cox Contestant at National Sweetheart 2005 pageant |
| Louisiana | Blair Abene | Hammond | 22 | Vocal | | | Previously Miss Teen Louisiana 2002 |
| Maine | Adrienne Watkinson | Topsham | 23 | Violin | | | |
| Maryland | Louise Schlegel | Silver Spring | 20 | Vocal | | | |
| Massachusetts | Alicia Zitka | West Springfield | 22 | Lyrical Dance | | | Graduate of University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| Michigan | Ashlee Baracy | Westland | 23 | Jazz Dance | Top 10 | Quality of Life Award 1st runner-up | Previously Michigan's Junior Miss 2003 1st runner-up at National Sweetheart 2007 pageant |
| Minnesota | Angela McDermott | Austin | 24 | Vocal | | | Performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minnesota |
| Mississippi | Christine Kozlowski | D'Iberville | 19 | Jazz Dance | | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | |
| Missouri | Lacey Fitzgerald | Kansas City | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Montana | Jennifer Hepner | Great Falls | 23 | Belly Dancing | | | |
| Nebraska | Gretchen Bergquist | Alliance | 24 | Vocal | | | |
| Nevada | Julianna Erdesz | Reno | 24 | Vocal | | | Later Miss Nevada USA 2010 |
| New Hampshire | Natalie C. Shaw | Hooksett | 23 | Vocal | | | |
| New Jersey | Ashley Fairfield | Egg Harbor Township | 22 | Jazz Dance | | | |
| New Mexico | Christina Olmi | Albuquerque | 23 | Vocal | | | |
| New York | Leigh-Taylor Smith | New York City | 22 | Vocal | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | |
| North Carolina | Amanda Watson | Raleigh | 21 | Vocal | | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| North Dakota | Tessie Jones | West Fargo | 21 | Piano | | | |
| Ohio | Karissa Renee Martin | Woodsfield | 21 | Vocal | | | |
| Oklahoma | Kelsey Cartwright | Collinsville | 20 | Lyrical Dance | | | |
| Oregon | Danijela Krstić | Beaverton | 24 | Belly Dance | | | |
| Pennsylvania | Kendria Perry | Nazareth | 23 | Piano | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Rhode Island | Francesca Simone | North Smithfield | 23 | Vocal | | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| South Carolina | Anna Perry | Florence | 23 | Piano | | Non-finalist Talent Award | Daughter of Miss South Carolina 1982, Julia Hill |
| South Dakota | Alexandra Hoffman | Eureka | 20 | Vocal | Top 15 | | Sister of Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2008, Elizabeth Hoffman Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2006 Received a "Golden Sash" and automatic Top 15 placement at Miss America 2009 pageant on Miss America: Countdown to the Crown |
| Tennessee | Ellen Carrington | Jackson | 21 | Classical Vocal | Top 7 | | |
| Texas | Rebecca Robinson | Buffalo | 24 | Tap Dance | | Miss Congeniality | Previously Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen 2000 |
| Utah | Kayla Barclay | Manti | 18 | Piano | | Non-finalist Talent Award | |
| Vermont | Ashley Ruth Wheeler | Lyndonville | 21 | Vocal | | Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Talent Award | |
| Virgin Islands | Shamika K. Thomas | Saint Thomas | 23 | Vocal | | | |
| Virginia | Tara Wheeler | Woodbridge | 24 | Vocal | | Quality of Life Award Finalist | |
| Washington | Janet Harding | Yelm | 21 | Piano | | | |
| West Virginia | Kayla Lynam | Short Gap | 21 | Piano | | | |
| Wisconsin | Briana Lipor | Racine | 22 | Vocal | | | |
| Wyoming | Courtney Gifford | Sheridan | 19 | Comedic Vocal | | | Previously Miss Wyoming's Outstanding Teen 2005 Later Miss Wyoming USA 2013 |