Miss Arkansas Prevails At The Miss America Pageant
And the Miss America 2017 tiara goes to ... Miss Arkansas Savvy Shields. Shields, whose talent was a jazz dance performance, took home the top prize at the Sept. 11 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The first runner-up was Miss South Carolina Rachel Wyatt, followed by second runner-up Miss New York Camille Sims, third runner-up Miss Washington Alicia Cooper and fourth runner-up Miss Mississippi Laura Lee Lewis.
In addition to the sash and sparkly headwear, Shields wins a $50,000 scholarship. She also gets a six-figure salary and expenses during her reign, plus an appearance agreement with Dick Clark Productions. Over the course of her year-long reign, she'll travel across the country advocating for her platform, "Eat Better, Live Better."
Shields succeeds Miss America 2016, Betty Cantrell — formerly Miss Georgia. Cantrell, who appeared onstage to sing Katy Perry's "Rise" in remembrance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, reportedly plans to pursue a career in country music.
