Kansan Takes Crown in Miss America Pageant

Miss Kansas, Tara Dawn Holland, was crowned Miss America on Saturday night in a nationally televised ceremony that marked the first time viewers got to help select the winner.

Viewers could call in and vote on which of the 10 semifinalists they liked to narrow the field to five finalists. The final decision on the winner was solely up to the seven celebrity judges.

When the name of first runner-up Miss Louisiana Erika Schwarz was called, Holland’s jaw dropped in disbelief. She then received the crown from outgoing winner Shawntel Smith before giving giant waves to the crowd as she made her way down the 92-foot runway in Convention Hall.

Holland, 23, of Overland Park, won the Miss Kansas title on her first try after moving from Florida, where she unsuccessfully sought the state crown three times.

A 1994 music education graduate of Florida State University, she is a graduate student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She hopes to teach music some day.

Holland’s platform, the issue she will speak about during her year as Miss America, is illiteracy prevention.

She sang opera, “Ou va le jeune Indoue,” for her talent segment.

Miss Oregon Patricia Leines was second runner-up, Miss Alabama Alison McCreary third runner-up and Miss Missouri Kimberly Massaro fourth runner-up. Miss California, Lyndsay Kahler, was not among the 10 semifinalists.

The call-in poll was the latest innovation for the contest.

The viewers, in effect, sat as the eighth judge in picking the 10 finalists.