Vocals propel Miss Georgia to pageant win

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell is the new Miss America.

Cantrell rode an opera performance to the title in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on Sunday night, besting 51 other competitors in the nationally televised pageant.

The pageant also marked the return of Miss America 1984 Vanessa Williams, who was back for the first time after resigning the crown following a nude photo scandal. Pageant Executive Chairman Sam Haskell apologized to Williams on behalf of the pageant.

“I want to apologize for anything that was said or done,” Haskell told Williams as they stood on the stage.

“Vanessa: Welcome back!”

For Williams, who went on to stardom on television and on the Broadway stage, it was a triumphant return to the Miss America stage.

Cantrell sang an operatic number for her talent performance.

She won a preliminary competition earlier in the week, also with an operatic performance.

Preliminary competition in talent, interviews, evening wear and swimsuit competition ran through Thursday.

On Saturday, the Miss America contestants hit the Atlantic City Boardwalk for the annual “Show Us Your Shoes” parade.

Most of the shoes had designs specific to the contestant’s home states. New Jersey, for instance, had dice and Monopoly money on her shoes in a nod to the pageant’s Atlantic City history. Miss Idaho had a potato.