ORLANDO, Fla. (Valley News Live) -As the sun went down in Orlando, Florida, the stars took the stage to show off their fitness wear, evening gowns, and answer the highly anticipated interview question in the Miss Preliminary Competition.
The Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts played host to the 52 delegates who have served their year as the Miss’ of their respective state.
Last night, each of these ladies took the first step towards their hopes of being crowned Miss America.
The event started with each contestant strutting the stage in their fitness wear–a true testament to female empowerment, as apart of the REBEL “Real You” campaign.
This section of the competition replaced the once-popular bikini competition that saw it’s last year in 2018.
The three contestants who took home honors in this section of the pageant include: Miss Ohio Stephanie Finoti, Miss South Carolina Davis Walsh, and Miss Wisconsin Mandi Genord.
The pageant then moved on to the interview question where each delegate took to the stage in their best interview attire.
Each woman was asked a random but platform motivated question.
In previous years, each delegate started or partnered with a community service initiative that was near and dear to their heart.
After the question was asked, 30 seconds was prompted to answer the question to the best of their ability.
Valley News Team’s Sophia Richards has partnered with “BioGirls,” a nonprofit organization geared towards improving self-esteem in adolescent girls through empowerment of self and service to others.
To cap off this illustrious night of fun and glamour, the ladies took one last walk down the stage in their evening gowns.
Each delegate captivated the audience and made the stage their own in their 45-second walk in front of the judges.
The ladies who took home honors in this section of the pageant included our very own Miss North Dakota Sophia Richards, Miss Florida Casana Fink, and Miss Texas Annette Addo-Yobo.
The delegates will return to the stage on Thursday night to showcase their individual talents. This can vary from forms of dance to showing off their vocals and even some ventriloquy.
Another exciting night in store for each of these ladies as their hopes of being crowned the 2025 Miss America winner continues.
Valley News Live has a team in Orlando with exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage. Watch for live updates throughout the week.
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