ORLANDO — The Tarheel State has captured three of the 18 preliminary awards during the first three days of the Miss America competition in Orlando. Following Miss North Carolina’s Teen, Hanley House, grabbing two preliminary awards for evening gown and fitness, Miss North Carolina, Taylor Loyd, took home one of three preliminary talent awards on Thursday night.
The Miss America competition kicked off Monday with private interviews and on Tuesday, House, who won the Miss NC Teen title in June in High Point, joined Texas teen Natalie Poveda with double preliminary wins in two important phases of competition.
Loyd did not garner a preliminary award Wednesday when the Miss America contestants hit the stage for the first time in a revamped Miss America format that brought back a physical fitness element instead of a tradition swimsuit competition along with evening gown. But, on Thursday, when both the Teen and Miss competitors faced off in talent, Loyd captured the attention of the judges with an operatic performance and was one of three to capture a $3,000 scholarship from Kawai Pianos. She was joined by Miss Maine, Veronica Druchniak, and Miss Michigan, Maya Schuhknecht, as preliminary talent winners. In Teen, Alabama, Florida and Kentucky were preliminary winners in the talent competition.
Wednesday featured the only double preliminary winner in the Miss America competition as Miss Maryland won for evening gown and Fitness. Miss Alabama and Miss Texas also won preliminary evening gown awards and Miss Mississippi and Miss Tennessee won awards for fitness.
The week-long event will culminate in the crowning of two young women on the final days of the event — Miss America’s Teen and Miss America.
