CREATE TABLE "final_competition_scores" (
  "state" text,
  "preliminaries" text,
  "interview" text,
  "swimsuit" text,
  "evening_gown" text,
  "average" text
);

Question:  what's the preliminaries where evening gown is 8.988
SQL: SELECT "preliminaries" FROM "final_competition_scores" WHERE "evening_gown"='8.988';

Question:  what's the swimsuit where average is 8.670
SQL: SELECT "swimsuit" FROM "final_competition_scores" WHERE "average"='8.670';

Question:  what's the evening gown where preliminaries is 8.977
SQL: SELECT "evening_gown" FROM "final_competition_scores" WHERE "preliminaries"='8.977';

Question:  what's the preliminaries where state is south dakota
SQL: SELECT "preliminaries" FROM "final_competition_scores" WHERE "state"='South Dakota';

Question:  what's the evening gown where state is south dakota
SQL: SELECT "evening_gown" FROM "final_competition_scores" WHERE "state"='South Dakota';

Question: what is the total number of average where evening gown is 8.988
SQL: SELECT COUNT("average") FROM "final_competition_scores" WHERE "evening_gown"='8.988';