MISS AMERICA 2012 PRELIM - NIGHT THREE WINNERS

On the third and final night of preliminary competition, Miss New York Kaitlin Monte won the lifestyle and fitness competition and Miss Hawaii Lauren Cheape won the talent competition. She performed a her jump-rope routine to the music of “Hawaii Five-O.”

(Photo: TOM DONOGHUE/DONOGHUEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM)

MISS AMERICA 2012 PRELIM - NIGHT TWO WINNERS

Miss Texas Kendall Morris (lifestyle and fitness) and Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson (talent) won the Miss America 2012 second-night preliminary competition. (Photo: Tom Donoghue/donoghuephotography.com)

MISS AMERICA 2012 PRELIM - NIGHT ONE WINNERS

Miss Utah and Miss Wisconsin win the first prelim awards
(Photo:  Tom Donoghue/donoghuephotography.com)

Miss America 2012 is out of the starting gate! Last night was the first of three preliminary nights of competition. Winners on this first night were Miss Utah Danica Olsen for lifestyle and fitness/aka swimsuit and Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler for talent (operatic solo). Winning a preliminary competition is strong, but not a 100% accurate predictor that the candidate will make the finals.

As a prelim winner in the lifestyle and fitness category, 
Miss Utah received a $1,000 scholarship.
(Photo: AP)

AMERICAN EXPRESS

Miss America 2011 Nebraska's Teresa Scanlan models an outfit from Express, Inc. the specialty women and men's retail apparel chain operating more than 600 stores in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Express is an official sponsor of the 2012 Miss America Program. The year-long sponsorship kicks-off with an exciting week of pageant events and culminates on January 14 at 9:00 PM/EST with the live ABC broadcast of the 2012 Miss America Pageant from the Planet Hollywood Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. All of this year’s contestants will be outfitted in Express looks throughout pageant week at the following events:

-Thursday, January 5: Miss America Arrival ceremony and media event at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas;
-Saturday, January 7: Miss America Contestant fashion show at Fashion Mall, in Las Vegas;
-Tuesday, January 10 through Thursday, January 12: Preliminary competition; and
-Saturday, January 14: ABC Live Miss America Pageant telecast from Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas.
(Source: Miss America Organization)

KEEPING UP WITH MISS AMERICA

Today, the Miss America Organization (MAO) announced the judges for Miss America 2012. The final is set for January 14, 2012 and will air live from Las Vegas, Nevada on the ABC network. The judges are Kris Jenner, star of cable reality show "Keeping Up With the Kardashians;" "Meet the Parents" actress Teri Polo; ABC's lifestyle anchor Lara Spencer;  "Dancing With the Stars" dancer Mark Ballas; "The Bachelor" executive producer Mike Fleiss; "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" host Chris Powell; and Raul de Molina, host of Univision's  "El Gordo y la Flaca." The pageant will be emceed by "The Bachelor" host Chris Harrison. For more information, visit the Miss America website. 

HAPPY T-DAY!

Miss America 2011 Nebraska's Teresa Scanlan serves up Thanksgiving dinner at the New York City Rescue Mission earlier this week. 

Happy T-Day to all BS students!

ZEN ON SUNDAY

Miss America 2011 Nebraska's Teresa Scanlan

MORE FOR THE VERTICAL FILES

Dear Lorraine, Please update the vertical files with the following information on several miscellaneous pageants held recently. As necessary, make room for this information in the vertical files by removing your personal items, such as bobby pins and hair extensions. Signed, Dean Harris

Zlatan Duratović, 20, topped the field to become the new Mister BiH 2011. He won the title of the most handsome man in Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 20. Runners-up were Ervin Kajeviću and Nemanja Grmuša. Mister Photogenic was Vladimir Milivojac.

Miss America 2012 state contests continue in full swing. Recently crowned were Miss South Carolina Bree Boyce, Miss Mississippi Mary Margaret Roark, and Miss Texas Kendall Morris.

Dominique Requin recently won the title of Men's Health Australia 2011 at gala ceremony on June 8. This is the third year of the Australian contest - similar to the Men's Health magazine contests in Spain and Korea. Oh, the Brazilian edition of Men's Health has just announced their new contest - Cara da Capa, the winner of which will appear on the October 2011 cover. (Photos: Men's Health Australia)

The new Mister Universitaro Costa Rica 2011 is José Cruz Madrigal, 21 and 1m86. He won the title a few weeks ago. First runner-up was Carlos Zamora Moreira, 22 and 1m81, and second runner-up was Raynnier Jimenez Garita, 22 and 1m79. (Photo: Revista Cupcake)

THE HIGH SEASON

Miss Tennessee Erin Hatley and Miss Ohio Ellen Bryan


Miss South Dakota Anna Simpson and Miss Missouri Sydney Fair


Miss California Noelle Freeman and Miss Virginia Elizabeth Croat


Miss Maryland Carlie Collella and Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson


Miss New York Kaitlin Monte and Miss Alabama Courtney Porter

The Miss USA 2011 contest may have been held last week, but it is the "high season" for Miss America state preliminaries. Over the past several weeks - and over the next several weeks - new titleholders will be crowned and will go on to compete for the Miss America 2012 title.

MISS HAWAII 2011

The new Miss Hawaii 2011 was crowned last night at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. She is Lauren Kealohilani Cheape, 23, and a member of the University of Hawaii's water polo team. Runners-up were Miss Garden Isle Shannon Dresser, Miss Kahala Brittni Leina'ala Woodward, Miss Kona Coffee Lacy Kawailapaimohalaikapuanani Matsuko Deniz, and Miss Maui Maya Iida. A total of 11 women competed for the coveted title of the 65th Miss Hawaii. Competing as Miss East Oahu, Lauren succeeds Jalee Fuselier, Miss America 2011 second runner-up and will now prepare to win the title of Miss America 2012.

MEET THE PRESS PART ONE

Miss Vietnam 2010 winners

Mister Switzerland 2011 contestant Sandro Di Mattio

Mister Spain 2010 contestants

Miss World Argentina 2011 Antonella Kruger

Miss America 2008, Michigan's Kirsten Haglund

Adriana Vasini, Miss World Venezuela 2010 and 2nd runner-up to Miss World 2010

Miss World 2003, Turkey's Azra Akin, and Mister World 2003, Brazil's Gustavo Gianetti

RHINESTONES AND CHERRY BLOSSOMS

The Washington Post, 30-Mar-2011: “Hi! How you doing?” said Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan. “Great to meet you!” The blond bundle of enthusiasm before us Tuesday night at the Capitol Hill Club is just 18, but has the poise, ambition and firm handshake of a seasoned politician — which is what she wants to be.

“I would like to start out as an attorney, actually,” she told us. “I want to be in criminal prosecution as a trial attorney and hopefully become a federal judge.” Then politics: “I really think that it’s important for my generation to step up into those roles. . . . I constantly hear: ‘Stay out of politics. You don’t want to get in there, you’re too good for that!’ It really shows me all the more why we need to get involved.” Just the perfect sound bite when you’re in the nation’s capital, isn’t it?

Scanlan and a handful of state title holders who competed in January’s scholarship pageant blitzed through Washington this week, bringing their rhinestone crowns and wholesome glamour to the gray, cold city, including visits to the Capitol, the Croatian Embassy and a lunch on Wednesday at Cafe Milano.

Full article at The Washington Post.