Miss America is first from Alaska; Miss Congeniality has COVID

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — The contestant from Alaska was crowned Miss America at an event Thursday marking the competition’s 100th anniversary.

Emma Broyles claimed the centennial crown and a $100,000 college scholarship. She emerged as the winner out of contestants representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia at the competition at a Connecticut casino. She is the first Miss Alaska to win the national title.

Broyles, 20, is a junior at Arizona State University, where she studies biomedical sciences and voice performance. She said her career goal is to be a dermatologist.

Answering a question in the on-stage interview about oversharing on social media, she said, “I am real, I have flaws, I have ADHD, I have dermatillomania” — a chronic skin-picking disorder.

In the talent portion, she sang “Let Me Be Your Star” from the TV show “Smash,” and she received an award in preliminaries for her presentation promoting Special Olympics.

First runner-up was Lauren Bradford of Alabama, followed by Elizabeth Pierre of Massachusetts, Sydney Park of New York and Abigail Hayes of Oregon.

Miss Congeniality was Mariah Larocque of Maine — who had to withdraw from the pageant after testing positive for COVID-19. (She was fully vaccinated.)

The finale that historically has been featured in a primetime television broadcast was available only to stream this year via NBC’s Peacock service.