And the winner is....

 

Young women from all around the country vied for the Miss America crown at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas during the 88^th edition of the show aired on TLC and hosted by Mario Lopez.

 

Kirsten Haglund of Michigan, who has been Miss America until last night, crowned the representative of Indiana, Katie Stam as the new Queen of Beauty! The 22-year-old woman has not only won the famed Tiara and sash, but also $50,000 in scholarship money. She is the first Miss Indiana to ever win this contest. Second runner-up was Miss Iowa, Olivia Myers, followed by Miss New York, Leigh-Taylor Smith, and at number four was Miss Florida, Sierra Minott.

 

Stam, who comes from the small town of Seymour, Ind., is a communications major at the University of Indianapolis and has great plans of being an active representative of her new title. She is scheduled to promote the contest and its charity partner Children’s Miracle Network. The new Miss America is also an anti-smoking advocate and seems to be very determined to cure all Americans of this addiction, starting with on-again, off-again smoking new President, Barack Obama.

 

More than 7,000 fans watched in the show at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts as Katie Stam became the fourth Miss America crowned in Las Vegas.