Ohioans, especially those in the Columbus area, will be waiting with bated breath tonight to find out if native daughter Stephanie Finoti will hear the familiar serenade of, “There she is, Miss America …”
As Miss Ohio 2024, Finoti will be one of 52 hopeful young women — one from each state, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico — vying for the title of Miss America 2025 and $50,000 in scholarship money.
What to know about pageants: Miss USA is not the same as Miss America
From the 52 delegates, 11 finalists will be selected to perform their talents, demonstrate fitness, model evening gowns and answer thought-provoking questions. Then, the final five will answer questions about the job of Miss America.
Columbus native and Miss Ohio Stephanie Finoti will vie for the Miss America 2025 crown on Sunday. The competition will be livestreamed for free at pageantvision.com.
Finoti, 22, won the preliminary fitness round last Wednesday, along with Miss Wisconsin and Miss South Carolina, with each of them receiving a $3,000 scholarship.
The following day, she performed a combination Latin-classical ballet dance for the preliminary talent round. Finoti did not take the prize, which went to Miss Tennessee, Miss Pennsylvania and Miss North Carolina.
She will take the stage once more on Sunday in her bid to wear the four-point crown of Miss America.
How to watch the Miss America 2025 finals
Held at the Walt Disney Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts in Orlando, Florida, the Miss America finals will take place at 7 p.m. Sunday. The finals will be livestreamed for free at pageantvision.com and available on YouTube after the ceremony.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus’ Miss Ohio, Stephanie Finoti, competes for Miss America crown
