Miss Tennessee Grace Burgess took home the talent award with her rendition of “Desperado” by The Eagles while Miss District of Columbia Cierra Jackson won the lifestyle and fitness competition.
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The winners Tuesday night, in talent Miss Tennessee, Grace Burgess.
Miss Alabama’s Hayley Barber performed a tap dance to the jazz song “Big Noise from Winnetka”, in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall during the second of three nights of preliminaries at the 2017 Miss America Competition.
Another Arkansan was honored on the Miss America stage Wednesday night.
“You let your light shine and then other people are able to see that”, Jackson said after her win, thanking her pageant trainer, adding that he works with other Miss America contestants, including Miss West Virginia and Miss Maryland.
Shields was crowned Miss Arkansas on July 9 in Hot Springs. Miss Alabama Hayley Barber waves to the crowd during the opening of the second night of Miss America Pageant Preliminaries at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, in Atlantic City. Th.
(Ben Fogletto/The Press of Atlantic City via AP).
Miss Rhode Island, Shruti Nagarajan Check out those legs!
Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis sang “A Piece Of the Sky” from ‘Yentl, ‘ and Miss Colorado Shannon Patilla sang ‘Something’s Got a Hold On Me’.
And Miss Massachusetts Alissa Musto offered: ‘From the state that brought you bands like Boston, The Cars and Aerosmith, I’m here to rock and roll!’
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Bullying, suicide prevention, support for the military and helping children and the elderly figured prominently in the onstage interviews some of the contestants gave. ‘Anyone can play them and anyone can listen’.
