ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ericka Dunlap reacted after being named Miss America 2004 as she was embraced by first runner-up Kanoelani Gibson yesterday in Atlantic City, N.J.
Miss Hawaii soars
close to crown
With the decision on who would be Miss America down to the final two contestants -- Miss Hawaii Kanoelani Gibson or Miss Florida Ericka Dunlap -- Gibson said she was hoping it wouldn't be her.
"I'm not a pageant girl, I'm a surfer girl," she said.
Gibson said she's relieved that she got first runner-up and not the title because of the demands of being the winner.
"I got a great amount of scholarship, but I'm not at the mercy of their schedule," she said with a laugh. "I just did it for fun."
As first runner-up, Gibson gets $40,000 in college scholarships -- the prime motivation for her entering the competition in January.
Dunlap edged Gibson out to be crowned Miss America and won the rhinestone tiara, $50,000 in scholarships and a yearlong national speaking tour.
Miss Wisconsin Tina Sauerhammer was second runner-up, while Miss Maryland Marina Harrison and Miss California Nicole Lamarche rounded out the final five.
"I knew that I was going to put my best foot forward," Gibson said by phone from her hotel room after the pageant. "I came a long way. Every aspect of the competition takes a lot of determination and hard work."
Gibson entered the competition with no pageant experience -- unlike many of her fellow contestants -- because she said she needed money to go to college after being furloughed from her job as a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant.
The other contestants "have a lot of credentials. I don't. I'm not a Harvard grad. I'm not a doctor."
This year's pageant featured some of the brainiest contestants in years.
Sauerhammer is already an M.D. at age 22; Miss Virginia Nancy Redd and Miss Rhode Island Laurie Gray are both recent Harvard University graduates.
Gibson said she had a complete makeover and lost 20 pounds in preparation for the final legs of the competition.
But her success in the pageant was so unexpected that she was scrambling in the dressing room at the last minute to find dresses for the different competitions.
The 22-year-old from Kapolei wooed the judges on Tuesday when she sang "Natural Woman" during the pageant's preliminary talent portion.
She performed the same song on national television last night and was the favorite of many at a "viewing party" hosted by Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter of the ABC reality show "The Bachelorette" that was part of this year's telecast.
Gibson appeared in a range of outfits, from a black tank top that said "Hawaii Rocks" to a long black evening gown trimmed in shimmering sequins to a bright red bikini.
"I was scared to death" to be on stage in front of thousands of people, Gibson said. "That's what Miss America does. It's a scary thing. It builds that courage."
Gibson hopes to go on to get her bachelor's and master's degrees in secondary education from the University of Hawaii. She said her career goal is to become a high school math teacher and learning disabilities specialist.
After Gibson returns to Honolulu she will take a couple days off before returning to her work as a spokeswoman with the Learning Disabilities Association of Hawaii. She is also a part-time music teacher at Aikahi Elementary School.
Thirty members of Gibson's family were in Atlantic City for the competition. After pageant, Gibson enjoyed a small reception with family and supporters and then went to another reception for all the contestants.
"We're really, really proud of her," said Gibson's sister, Maila.
"We know that this is going to open up a lot of doors for her. The other contestants had nothing but wonderful things to say about her. She was just so real."
If Gibson had won the crown, she would have been the third Miss America from the islands. Angela Perez Baraquio won three years ago and Carolyn Sapp won in 1992.
Dunlap won both the evening gown and the talent portion of the competition last night, singing "If I Could." She correctly answered five of eight questions on a pop quiz given to the five finalists.
A student at the University of Central Florida, Dunlap plans to promote cultural diversity during her reign as Miss America.
The daughter of a roofing contractor and a nurse, Dunlap aspires to go to law school and become an attorney specializing in sports and entertainment.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mrs. Missouri Heidi Dinan, 31, waved after being crowned Mrs. America at the 27th annual pageant in Waikiki Friday.
Mrs. America
crowned in Waikiki
Mrs. Missouri Heidi Dinan was crowned Mrs. America on Friday night at the 27th annual pageant in Waikiki.
Dinan, 31, of St. Louis, won more than $100,000 worth of cash and prizes and the right to represent the United States at the Mrs. World competition in December.
She is a part-time model and aspiring writer of children's literature. Her husband, Jeffery, is a manager for a tire company. They have an 8-year-old daughter, Kelsi.
"I can't believe it. This is amazing," Dinan said, moments after she was crowned. "I'm so proud to represent the married women of America."
Mrs. Utah Rachelle Joseph, 33, of Salt Lake City, was the first runner-up, followed by Mrs. New York Melissa Ognibene, 28, of Rochester; Mrs. New Jersey Geralyn Watson, 40, of Toms River and Mrs. District of Columbia Chiann Gibson, 35.
The Mrs. America pageant will be broadcast Oct. 11 on the Pax Television Network.
