The former Miss Arkansas 2016 was crowned the Miss America 2017 victor, by 2016 victor Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell, after wowing the judges with her beauty, brains as well as talent.
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After a night of vintage pageantry in Atlantic City, Miss America has a shiny new face for its 95-year-old brand – Savvy Shields.
A senior at the University of Arkansas, Shields grabbed attention earlier this week with her jazz dance to They Just Keep Moving The Line from the series Smash.
Next came the swimsuit portion of the competition, cleverly rebranded as “Fitness and Swimsuit” – we’re still not sure what fitness has to do with wearing heels and bikinis, but the girls rocked it nonetheless!
They’re vying to succeed Betty Cantrell as the new Miss America. Savvy Shields was pronounced Miss America 2017 by hosts Chris Harrison and Sage Steele, after being the celebrity judges’ panel pick.
Miss Missouri Erin O’Flaherty, unfortunately, didn’t even make it to the top 15. “Both of the contestants have done a good job, but they also need to watch what they’re doing”.
During a press conference after the ceremony, Ms. Shields thanked her family and fans.
Miss Mississippi 2016 Laura Lee Lewis is the fourth runner up in the Miss America Pageant. “I want to hopefully work in a museum and teach at a collegiate level”, she said about her plans for the future.
For instance, Miss Mississippi, Miss Tennessee, Miss Maryland, and Miss New York all took the stage to sing for the judges. “It does not have a stone on it and for me it is what a Miss America dress looks like”. Shields also went over the time allotted to answer a question, however, it would prove to be of little outcome as she was awarded the coveted crown.
She will receive a salary of $100,000 for one year as she tours the country.
This year’s judges – which included Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Gabby Douglas, pop singer Ciara, and celebrity tech billionaire Mark Cuban – posed tough questions to the finalists on topics ranging from immigration to the United States presidential race.
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The pageant began in Atlantic City in 1921 as a way to extend the summer tourist season beyond Labor Day weekend.
