Summary: For the third year in a row, Miss New York takes the crown at the Miss America pageant. Kira Kazantsev beat other contestants with her stunning gown and unusual talent performance.
New York has done it again—for the third year in a row, Miss New York has been crowned Miss America, the New York Post reports. Kira Kazantsev won the competition last night, which was held at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
Kazantsev will show the world that she’s not just all beauty, but brains as well—she’s been accepted to attend law school at Fordham University Law School.
The prospective attorney is the daughter of Russian immigrants. She was raised in California, and moved to New York for college at Hofstra University.
The new Miss America wore a champagne gown which was custom-made for her by John Paul Ataker, a New York designer. She said that the dress made her feel “so beautiful and just on fire. It’s so New York.”
For her talent, Kazantsev sang Pharrell’s “Happy” while keeping the beat using a red cup that she tapped as she sang. Kazantsev sat on the stage as she performed and “played” the cup. “I keep time with the cup,” she told the New York Post before the pageant got started. Kazantsev borrowed the idea from the movie “Pitch Perfect.” She added, “It’s not your average Miss America talent in terms of singing Broadway tunes or opera. I’m sticking to what I can do.” Clearly, her plan worked.
In a recent interview with National Public Radio, Kazantsev stated that female senators should encourage male senators to help stop sexual assault in the military. She revealed that she was in an abusive relationship while in college. Speaking of the abuse, she said, “You just feel alone. You feel helpless. You don’t feel like anyone could possibly understand.”
In 2012, Mallory Hagan of Brooklyn took the crown. Last year, New Yorker Nina Davuluri won the title. Since 1945, Miss New York has won the pageant six times, making it tied for the most wins with Oklahoma, Ohio, and California.
Miss Virginia, Courtney Paige Garrett, was first runner-up. Jacky Arness, Miss North Dakota, was selected as Miss Congeniality.
The event was a pleasant change for the gambling city, which has recently made national headlines for casino closings, which have left thousands of residents without jobs, and, most recently, a domestic violence case involving former NFL player Ray Rice.
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