Miss America 1987

Miss America 1987, the 60th Miss America pageant, was held at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 13, 1986 on NBC Network.

Miss America 1987
Date	September 13, 1986
Presenters	Gary Collins
Venue	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster	NBC Network
Entrants	51
Placements	10
Winner	Kellye Cash Tennessee
← 1986 1988 →

Although an entry representing the city of Memphis had been victorious in the pageant of 1947, Kellye Cash became the first woman with the title Miss Tennessee to win the crown. She is a great-niece of the singer Johnny Cash. Third place finisher Dawn Elizabeth Smith is the sister of a murder victim by Larry Gene Bell, who would be executed for killing her sister.

Results

Placements

Placement	Contestant
Miss America 1987	Tennessee – Kellye Cash[1]
1st runner-up	Virginia – Julianne Smith
2nd runner-up	South Carolina – Dawn Elizabeth Smith[2]
3rd runner-up	Michigan – Kelly Lynn Garver
4th runner-up	Missouri – Tamara Lynn Tungate
Top 10	Alabama – Angela Callahan Arkansas – Julie Anne Russell Georgia – Marlesa Ball Mississippi – Kimberly McGuffee Texas – Stephany Samone

Awards

Preliminary awards

Awards	Contestant
Lifestyle and Fitness	Missouri - Tamara Tungate South Carolina - Dawn Elizabeth Smith (tie) Tennessee - Kellye Cash (tie) Virginia - Julianne Smith
Talent	Michigan - Kelly Garver Tennessee - Kellye Cash Texas - Stephany Samone

Non-finalist awards

Awards	Contestant
Talent	California - Lisa Kahre Colorado - Carol Janson Florida - Molly Scott Pesce Hawaii - Cheryl Bartlett Kentucky - Melinda Cumberledge Louisiana - Amanda Mainord Oklahoma - Mignon Merchant Vermont - Michelle Shelley Dawson

Contestants

State	Name	Hometown	Age	Talent	Placement	Special Awards	Notes
Alabama	Angela Callahan	Birmingham	20	Piano, "The Windmills of Your Mind"	Top 10
Alaska	Jerri Morrison	Anchorage	22	Tap Dance
Arizona	Terri Kettunen	Yuma	21	Classical Piano			Sister of Miss Arizona 1989, Tammy Kettunen
Arkansas	Julie Russell	Fort Smith	22	Classical Piano with Narration	Top 10
California	Lisa Kahre	Salinas	19	Flute, "Carnival of Venice"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Colorado	Carol Janson	Boulder	21	Piano, "Revolutionary Etude"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Connecticut	Lorraine Hudson	North Haven	24	Vocal, "Something's Coming" from West Side Story
Delaware	Lori Ann Scott	Wilmington	23	Popular Vocal, "Love is Spreading All Over"
District of Columbia	Karen Watson	Arlington, VA	25	Classical Ballet en Pointe
Florida	Molly Pesce	Longwood	23	Vocal Medley from Cabaret		Non-finalist Talent Award
Georgia	Marlesa Ball	Thomasville	23	Vocal, "Amazing Grace"	Top 10
Hawaii	Cheryl Bartlett	Honolulu	23	Vocal, "America the Beautiful"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Idaho	Jennifer Hovey	Twin Falls	19	Violin
Illinois	Lisa Heussner	Pekin	21	Dramatic Interpretation, "Emily Dickinson, Portrait of a Poet"
Indiana	Susan Sailor	Elkhart	20	Piano
Iowa	Darcy Benton	Delmar	19	Vocal, "Someone to Watch Over Me"
Kansas	Heather Lynn Clark	Benton	23	Vocal & Sign Language, "I'll Never Say Goodbye"
Kentucky	Melinda Cumberledge	Lexington	23	Semi-classical Vocal, "Till There was You"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Louisiana	Amanda Mainord	Baton Rouge	20	Vocal, "When You Wish Upon a Star"		Non-finalist Talent Award
Maine	Victoria Reed	Falmouth	26	Vocal, "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
Maryland	Katrina Owens	Pikesville	24	Jazz Dance
Massachusetts	Kathleen Callahan	Revere	23	Popular Vocal, "Come Rain or Come Shine"
Michigan	Kelly Lynn Garver	Farmington Hills	23	Fiddle Medley, "Orange Blossom Special" & "New Country"	3rd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
Minnesota	Kristine Fouks	Stillwater	23	Vocal
Mississippi	Kimberly McGuffee	Mendenhall	23	Popular Vocal, "Inseparable"	Top 10
Missouri	Tamara Tungate	St. Peters	21	Vocal, "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl	4th runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Montana	Kamala Compton	Havre	21	Gymnastics Dance
Nebraska	Donna Schieffer	Columbus	19	Modern Dance
Nevada	Kelsey Kara	Las Vegas	23	Flamenco Dance
New Hampshire	Lisa Vandecasteele	Salem	22	Dance/Baton Twirling
New Jersey	Karyn Zosche	Pine Brook	25	Piano, Rhapsody in Blue
New Mexico	Emily Franklin	Albuquerque	19	Vocal Medley
New York	Dawan McPeak	New York City	25	Gymnastics Dance			Later Mrs. Texas 2001
North Carolina	Karen Bloomquist	Durham	22	Piano
North Dakota	Barbara Kerzman	Minot	23	Semi-classical Vocal, "Love is Where You Find It"
Ohio	Mary Zilba	Toledo	22	Vocal, "My Mammy"			Sister of Miss Ohio 1981, Juliana Zilba Later appeared on The Real Housewives of Vancouver
Oklahoma	Mignon Merchant	Oklahoma City	25	Stand-up Comedy		Non-finalist Talent Award	Previously Miss Oklahoma USA 1983 Top 10 at Miss USA 1983
Oregon	Jana Svea Peterson	Newport	22	Vocal Medley
Pennsylvania	Darlene Deeley	Philadelphia	25	Gymnastics/Dance Routine
Rhode Island	Toni Langello	Warwick	20	Vocal, "My Man"
South Carolina	Dawn Smith	Columbia	22	Classical Vocal, "Je Veux Vivre" from Roméo et Juliette	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award	Sister was brutally murdered a year prior to her winning Miss South Carolina (events later made into investigative documentary dramas) Won "Miss Pageant Rewind" on What Not to Wear against two fellow pageant contestants
South Dakota	Julie Hedin	Watertown	21	Flute
Tennessee	Kellye Cash	Milan	21	Piano/Vocal, "I'll Be Home"	Winner	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award Preliminary Talent Award	Mother of Miss Virginia 2021, Tatum Shepard
Texas	Stephany Samone	Dallas	25	Country Vocal, "Stand by Your Man"	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award
Utah	Donna Clark	Salt Lake City	22	Ballet
Vermont	Michelle Dawson	Charlotte	18	Vocal, "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady		Non-finalist Talent Award
Virginia	Julianne Smith	Yorktown	21	Vocal, "Golden Rainbow"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award
Washington	Melanie Cobb	Vancouver	24	Vocal, "Let's Hear it for Me" from Funny Lady
West Virginia	Shannon Barill	Charleston	23	Jazz en Pointe
Wisconsin	Mara Nesemann	Brookfield	20	Gymnastics Dance Routine, "1980"
Wyoming	Lacy J. Reeves	Laramie	22	Vocal, "You're Gonna Hear from Me" from Inside Daisy Clover