Miss America 1989

Miss America 1989
Date	September 10, 1988
Presenters	Gary Collins Mary Ann Mobley
Venue	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster	NBC
Winner	Gretchen Carlson Minnesota
← 1988 1990 →

Miss America 1989, the 62nd Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 10, 1988 and was televised by the NBC Network. The pageant was moved a week early because of the 1988 Summer Olympics.

The winner, Minnesota's Gretchen Carlson, would later become a notable television journalist for Fox News & would later become the Chairwoman for the Miss America Organization.

Results[edit]

Placements[edit]

Order of announcements[edit]

Awards[edit]

Preliminary awards[edit]

Non-finalist awards[edit]

Judges[edit]

• Walter Anderson
• Brian Boitano
• Joyce Brothers
• Richard Dysart
• William Farley
• Eileen Ford
• Eva Gabor
• Phyllis George
• Deborah Norville
• George Peppard
• Blair Underwood
• Lili Fini Zanuck

Candidates[edit]

State	Name	Hometown	Age	Talent	Placement	Special Awards	Notes
Alabama	Jenny Jackson	Auburn	21	Classical Piano, "Warsaw Concerto"	4th runner-up
Alaska	Launa Middaugh	Wasilla	19	Piano Solo
Arizona	Lisa Mandel	Tucson	22	Dance, "Steam Heat"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Arkansas	Patti Thorn	Hot Springs	23	Vocal, "Love is Where You Find It"		Non-finalist Talent Award
California	Marlise Ricardos	San Pedro	26	Dramatic Vocal, "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables	3rd runner-up
Colorado	Maya Walker	Eagle-Vail	23	Jazz Vocal, "Night and Day"	1st runner-up		Later Miss Oklahoma USA 1992
Connecticut	Maria Caporale	Oakdale	24	Vocal, "What Did I Have That I Don't Have" from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Delaware	Laura Kathleen Ludwig	Lewes	21	Popular Vocal, "Happy Days Are Here Again"
District of Columbia	Patricia Morrin	Washington, D.C.	23	Jazz Dance
Florida	Melissa Aggeles	St. Petersburg	24	Vocal/Dance, "Show Stopper"	Top 10	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award	Previously National Sweetheart 1987
Georgia	Frances Frazier	Rome	26	Popular Vocal, "Amen"
Hawaii	Desiree Moana Cruz	Hilo	26	Vocal, "I Am Changing"	Top 10
Idaho	Susan Hart	Rigby	18	Ballet
Illinois	Dawn Spicuzza	Collinsville	22	Vocal, "If I Loved You"
Indiana	Joni McMechan	Liberty	21	Semi-classical Vocal Medley
Iowa	Tiffany DiBernardo	Bettendorf	19	Vocal, "I Go To Rio"
Kansas	Candice Cae Pyle	Dodge City	20	Vocal, "Blue Moon"
Kentucky	Mikka Darby	Salyersville	19	Middle Eastern Dance
Louisiana	Valerie Brosset	West Monroe	21	Contemporary Ballet, "Singin' in the Rain"	Top 10	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Maine	Lisa Kent	Gorham	21	Gymnastics/Jazz Dance
Maryland	Lori Ann Windsor	Mount Airy	20	Dance/Baton Twirling
Massachusetts	Diana Steckler	East Boston	22	Vocal, "Amazing Grace"
Michigan	Krista Ann Blomgren	Livonia	22	Oboe
Minnesota	Gretchen Carlson	Anoka	22	Classical Violin, Zigeunerweisen	Winner	Preliminary Talent Award	Former chairwoman of the Miss America Board of Directors Filed a lawsuit against then Fox News Chairman and CEO, Roger Ailes, claiming sexual harassment, which eventually settled for $20 million Former co-host of Fox & Friends and anchor of The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson
Mississippi	Carla Haag	Hattiesburg	23	Vocal Medley, "Here's to the Band" & "Alexander's Ragtime Band"	Top 10	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award	Previously Mississippi's Junior Miss 1983
Missouri	Heather Smith	Maryland Heights	21	Baton Twirling, "Whistler and his Dog" by Arthur Pryor		Non-finalist Talent Award
Montana	Becky McRae	Miles City	17	Vocal, "On My Own" from Les Misérables
Nebraska	Jodi Sue Miller	Omaha	20	Acrobatic Jazz Dance			Previously Nebraska's Junior Miss 1986 Mother of Miss Nebraska's Outstanding Teen 2014 and Miss Nebraska 2021, Morgan Holen
Nevada	Deborah Schuler	Incline Village	22	Vocal, "The Woman in the Moon" from A Star is Born
New Hampshire	Laura Lourette	Sandown	26	Irish Festival Dance
New Jersey	Patricia Bowman	Ocean City	19	Vocal, "Wind Beneath My Wings"		Non-finalist Talent Award
New Mexico	Teresa Rodriquez	Clovis	21	Popular Vocal, "Anything For You"			Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 1985
New York	Mia Seminoff	New York City	23	Classical Ballet en Pointe, La Esmeralda		Non-finalist Talent Award
North Carolina	Lee Beaman	Rocky Mount	20	Jazz en Pointe
North Dakota	Tina Marie Curran	Grand Forks	21	Ballet en Pointe, "Capriccio Espagnol"	Top 10
Ohio	Sarah Ann Evans	Van Wert	23	Vocal, "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from The Phantom of the Opera		Non-finalist Talent Award
Oklahoma	Lori Kelley	Clinton	23	Classical Vocal, "Una Voce Poco Fa" from The Barber of Seville	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
Oregon	Anna Denise Jones	Portland	24	Vocal, "Crazy"
Pennsylvania	Denise Meyer	Pittsburgh	21	Popular Vocal, "Over the Rainbow"
Rhode Island	Jenna Wims	Pawtucket	21	Vocal
South Carolina	Anna Graham Reynolds	Greenwood	23	Vocal, "Mack the Knife"			Daughter of Miss South Carolina 1957, Cecilia Colvert
South Dakota	Kathryn Barnes	Sioux Falls	22	Vocal, "Miss Celie's Blues" from The Color Purple
Tennessee	Carrie Folks	New Johnsonville	20	A capella Vocal, "Sweet Dreams"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Texas	Cathy Castro	McAllen	22	Ballet en Pointe, "Les toreadors"			First Hispanic woman to win Miss Texas
Utah	Sophia Symko	Salt Lake City	21	Piano, "Rhapsodie espagnole"		Preliminary Talent Award Non-finalist Talent Award
Vermont	Julie Tidd	Barre	25	Jazz Dance
Virginia	April Fleming		23	Vocal, "New York State of Mind"
Washington	Talia Watland	Poulsbo	24	Vocal, "Pour on the Power"
West Virginia	Lisa Seagroves	Morgantown	24	Tap Dance, "They're Playing Our Song"			Contestant at National Sweetheart 1985 as Miss Georgia
Wisconsin	Jeanie Marie Pfeiffer	Franksville	25	Vocal, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"
Wyoming	Wendi Willis	Laramie	19	Dance/Baton Twirling

References[edit]

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Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

• Miss America official website