Miss America 1998

Miss America 1998
Miss America 1998
Date	September 13, 1997
Presenters	John Callahan; Eva LaRue
Venue	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster	ABC
Winner	Katherine Shindle; Illinois
	← 1997 1999 →

Miss America 1998, the 71st Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 13, 1997 and was televised by the ABC Network. ABC replaced NBC as the pageant's television home.

Results

Placements

Placement	Contestant
Miss America 1998	Illinois – Katherine Shindle^[1]
1st Runner-Up	North Carolina – Michelle Warren^[1]
2nd Runner-Up	Mississippi – Myra Barginear^[1]
3rd Runner-Up	Arizona – Stacey Momeyer^[1]
4th Runner-Up	California – Rebekah Keller^[1]
Top 10	Florida – Christy Neuman Hawaii – Erika Kauffman Louisiana – Mette Boving North Dakota – Roxana Saberi * Oregon – Tamara Ann Finch^[1]

* Finalist Roxana Saberi entered the journalism field and made international headlines in 2009 when she was imprisoned in Iran on charges of espionage; she was subsequently released.^[2]

Order of announcements

Top 10

North Carolina
Florida
North Dakota
California
Mississippi
Hawaii
Oregon
Illinois
Arizona
Louisiana

Top 5

California
North Carolina
Illinois
Arizona
Mississippi

Awards

Preliminary awards

Awards	Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness	California - Rebekah Keller Hawaii - Erika Kauffman New Jersey - Kathy Nejat
Talent	Florida - Christy Neuman Illinois - Katherine Shindle North Carolina - Michelle Warren

Non-finalist awards

Awards	Contestant
Talent	Connecticut - Merissa Starnes Delaware - Alison White Minnesota - Jennifer Ostergaard Nebraska - Kendra Quandt New Jersey - Kathy Nejat Oklahoma - Kelli Masters Rhode Island - Kelly Jo Roarke South Carolina - Janet Lea Powers Utah - Mary McDonough Virginia - Kelli Quick
Interview	Wisconsin - Nicole Locy

Quality of Life awards

Results	Contestant	Platform
Winner	Minnesota - Jennifer Ostergaard	Child Abuse Education, Awareness, and Prevention
1st runner-up	Nebraska - Kendra Quandt	-
2nd runner-up	Utah - Mary McDonough	-

Judges

Candidates


State	Name	Age	Hometown	Talent	Placement	Special Awards	Notes
Alabama	Beth Stomps	20	Mobile	Vocal, "Love Changes Everything" from Aspects of Love
Alaska	Michelle Titus	19	Fairbanks	Vocal, "There is a Savior"
Arizona	Stacey Momeyer	21	Phoenix	Vocal, "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from The Phantom of the Opera	3rd runner-up		Previously National Sweetheart 1996
Arkansas	Stacy Freeman	22	Sheridan	Tap Dance, "Sing, Sing, Sing"			Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 1992
California	Rebekah Ann Keller	22	Lakewood	Vocal, "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde	4th runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award	Later Miss California USA 2000
Colorado	Regina Flores	21	Colorado Springs	Vocal, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"
Connecticut	Merissa Starnes	21	Bloomfield	Contemporary Ballet en Pointe		Non-finalist Talent Award
Delaware	Alison White	18	Millsboro	Classical Vocal, "Poor Wand'ring One" from The Pirates of Penzance		Non-finalist Talent Award
District of Columbia	Sonya Gavankar	21	Joliet, IL	Vocal, "The Power of the Dream"
Florida	Christy Neuman	20	Jacksonville	Rhythmic Gymnastics Dance, Theme from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award
Georgia	Candice Little	23	Hartwell	Tap Dance, "Jump 'N Jive"
Hawaii	Erika Kauffman	18	Kailua-Kona	Vocal, "God Help the Outcasts" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame	Top 10	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Idaho	Sherrie Belnap	20	Roberts	Classical Piano, "Polonaise in A Flat"
Illinois	Katherine Shindle	20	Evanston	Vocal, "Don't Rain on My Parade"	Winner	Preliminary Talent Award
Indiana	Sara Engerman	19	Kendallville	Tap Dance, "Shout And Feel It"
Iowa	Sheri Riley	19	Clear Lake	Gospel Vocal, "His Eye Is on the Sparrow"
Kansas	Lesley Moss	24	Hoxie	Vocal, "You'll Have to Swing It"
Kentucky	Lori Menshouse	24	Ashland	Piano, "Revolutionary Etude" by Chopin			Later Miss Kentucky USA 1999
Louisiana	Mette Boving	24	Ruston	Popular Vocal, "How Do I Live"	Top 10		Later Mrs. Colorado 2015
Maine	Rachel Binder	23	Presque Isle	Lyrical Ballet, "Seasons of Love"
Maryland	Jaime Fox	21	Frederick	Vocal, "With One Look" from Sunset Boulevard
Massachusetts	Samira Zebian	20	Westfield	Irish Step Dance		Waterford Crystal Award for Business Marketing & Management
Michigan	Kimberly Stec	22	Rochester	Jazz Dance, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"
Minnesota	Jennifer Ostergaard	22	Winona	Dramatic Monologue, "Clear Glass Marbles" from Talking With...		Non-finalist Talent Award Quality of Life Winner
Mississippi	Myra Barginear	23	Grenada	Classical Vocal, "Una Voce Poco Va" from The Barber of Seville	2nd runner-up	Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship
Missouri	Michele Eise	24	St. Louis	Gospel Vocal, "How Great Thou Art"
Montana	Kristen Garlock	24	Billings	Vocal, "Romany Life" from The Fortune Teller
Nebraska	Kendra Quandt	23	Davenport	Classical Piano, "Prelude in C Sharp Minor" by Rachmaninoff		Non-finalist Talent Award Quality of Life 1st runner-up
Nevada	Amanda Gunderson	19	Reno	Classical Vocal, "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen"
New Hampshire	Michelle Lamontagne	22	Goffstown	Vocal, "Route 66"
New Jersey	Kathy Nejat	21	Voorhees	Classical Ballet en Pointe, "The Dying Swan"		Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Non-finalist Talent Award
New Mexico	Jennifer Babin	22	Alamogordo	Piano
New York	Lisa Esler	21	Northville	Vocal, "Memory"
North Carolina	Michelle Warren	22	Gastonia	Vocal, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
North Dakota	Roxana Saberi	20	Fargo	Classical Piano, Prelude in G minor by Rachmaninoff	Top 10	Miss America Scholar	In 2009 gained worldwide attention after being imprisoned for 100 days for alleged espionage in Iran
Ohio	Kelly Creager	19	Hamler	Vocal, "Remember Me This Way" from Casper
Oklahoma	Kelli Master	24	Midwest City	Baton Twirling, "Gonna Fly Now"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Oregon	Tamara Ann Finch	24	Myrtle Creek	Classical Piano, "Scherzo No. 2 in B Flat Minor" by Chopin	Top 10	Steinway Talent Award
Pennsylvania	Heather Busin	20	Grove City	Vocal, "I Will Listen"
Rhode Island	Kelly Jo Roarke	24	Cranston	Comic Reading, "Non-Bridaled Passion"		Non-finalist Talent Award
South Carolina	Janet Powers	21	Hartsville	Vocal Medley, "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "Gonna Build a Mountain," & "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"		Non-finalist Talent Award
South Dakota	Shantel Swedlund	24	Arlington	Alto Saxophone			Current chairwoman of the Miss America Organization Board of Directors
Tennessee	Lanna Keck	23	Knoxville	Gospel Vocal, "Go Light Your World"
Texas	Reagan Hughes	23	Midland	Dramatic Vocal, "I Dreamed a Dream"
Utah	Mary McDonough	19	Layton	Piano, "Des Danzas Creoles" by Alberto Ginastera		Non-finalist Talent Award Quality of Life 2nd runner-up
Vermont	Jill Renee Cummings	20	Montgomery Center	Vocal, "Someone to Watch Over Me"
Virginia	Kelli Quick	20	Lynchburg	Vocal, "I Go To the Rock" from The Preacher's Wife		Non-finalist Talent Award
Washington	Mariana Loya	19	Tacoma	Classical Violin, "Concerto in E minor"		Miss America Scholar	Later Miss Arizona USA 2005
West Virginia	Eisa Krushansky	24	Westover	Tap Dance, "Dancin' Fool" from Copacabana
Wisconsin	Nicole Jean Locy	22	Glendale	Vocal, "Someone Else's Story" from Chess		Non-finalist Interview Award
Wyoming	Jeffie Ventling	24	Laramie	Vocal, "The Phantom of the Opera"