April 12, 2008
Crystle
Stewart, 26, of Missouri City, TX, crowned Miss USA 2008 at the conclusion of
the LIVE NBC telecast from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Theatre for
the Performing Arts, in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11th, 2008. Stewart will
spend her year-long reign making special appearances on behalf of the MISS
Universe Organization, its sponsors and affiliated charities.
26-Year-Old Texan Crowned Miss USA
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 26-year-old entrepreneur from Texas was named Miss USA on Friday, besting 50 other beauty queens for the coveted crown. Crystle Stewart, of Missouri City, Texas, runs a party-planning and motivational speaking company, as well as modeling professionally. She says she wants to dedicate her life to international philanthropy.
"I want to talk to people about how to set a goal and achieve it," she told The Associated Press after the show. "Because I just achieved my goal." Stewart edged out first runner-up Leah Laviano of Mississippi and Tiffany Andrade of New Jersey. Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith relinquished the crown — and the posh New York apartment that comes with it — in a show aired live by NBC with hosts Donny and Marie Osmond from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The network co-owns the parent Miss Universe Organization with Donald Trump.
Smith,
a former Miss Tennessee USA, said she was headed to Hollywood.
Stewart
was headed for the publicity circuit. She said she was eager to travel and
spread her message of self-improvement to young women. She noted she was one
of only a handful of black woman crowned Miss USA in the pageant's 57-year
history.
"I think the United States is coming together," she said, citing the historic presidential candidacies of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. She declined to name her preference."I don't know, we'll see. Fundamentally, I'm a Democrat," she said. Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia have been in Las Vegas for nearly three weeks, rehearsing and hyping the 57th annual pageant. After stints in Baltimore and Los Angeles, organizers billed the new venue as a city beloved by the event's international audience. The pageant tried to showed off its edge, featuring a grinding live rock performance by the band Finger Eleven, music from Rihanna, and contestants in barely there black bikinis and faux-fur coats. Donny and Marie kept up a steady stream of sibling banter even while swiftly whittling the field.
Donny
Osmond told the losers to "put on a poker face" as he sent them
home.
"Or use Botox; then it won't move," Marie quipped. Stewart will compete in the Miss Universe pageant in Vietnam in July. She also becomes a spokeswoman for breast and ovarian cancer awareness and other causes, while traveling to promote the organization. Miss USA contestants are scored in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. Miss Alaska USA, Courtney Erin Carroll, was chosen "Miss Photogenic USA" based on voting at the organization's Web site. The other contestants named Miss Ohio USA, Monica Day, "Miss Congeniality." Unlike the rival Miss America, Miss USA contestants are not asked to perform a talent.
The panel of judges for Friday's pageant included Heather Mills, model and former wife of Paul McCartney; comedian Rob Schneider; Olympic gold-medal swimmer Amanda Beard; and Christian Siriano, winner of Bravo's fashion reality series, "Project Runway."
TOP 15
20
year old Kaylee Unverzagt, Miss Minnesota USA 2008 from Eagan
23
year old Jackie Bruno, Miss Massachusetts USA 2008 from Assonet
22
year old Lindsey Jo Harrington, Miss Oklahoma USA 2008 from Frederick
23
year old Amy Diaz, Miss Rhode Island USA 2008 from North Providence
24 year old Jamie Hill, Miss South Carolina USA 2008 from Columbia
22
year old Tiffany Andrade, Miss New Jersey USA 2008 from Linden
21
year old Candice Crawford, Miss Missouri USA 2008 from Columbia
25
year old Hailey Laine Brown, Miss Tennessee USA 2008 from South Fulton
23
year old LauRen Merola, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2008 from Pittsburgh
20
year old Leah Laviano, Miss Mississippi USA 2008 from Ellisville
26
year old Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA 2008 from Missouri City
21
year old Brittany Mason, Miss Indiana USA 2008 from Anderson
21
year old Raquel Roxanne Beezley, Miss California USA 2008 from Barstow
24
year old Julia Bachison, Miss Utah USA 2008 from North Ogden
22 year old Jessica Rafalowski, Miss Florida USA 2008 from Deland
TOP 10 SWIMSUIT COMPETITION
The 10 MISS USA 2008 semi-finalists competing for the title of MISS USA 2008 pose together in their Syrup swimsuits and Nina footwear during the LIVE NBC broadcast of the 57th annual MISS USA competition from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Theatre for the Performing Arts, in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11th, 2008. From left: Jackie Bruno, Miss Massachusetts USA 2008; Candice Crawford, Miss Missouri USA 2008; Tiffany Andrade, Miss New Jersey USA 2008; LauRen Merola, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2008; Lindsey Jo Harrington, Miss Oklahoma USA 2008; Leah Laviano, Miss Mississippi USA 2008; Hailey Laine Brown, Miss Tennessee USA 2008; Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA 2008; Brittany Mason, Miss Indiana USA 2008; and Jessica Rafalowski, Miss Florida USA 2008.
EVENING GOWNS
23 year old Jackie Bruno, Miss Massachusetts USA 2008
21
year old Candice Crawford, Miss Missouri USA 2008 from Columbia
22
year old Tiffany Andrade, Miss New Jersey USA 2008 from Linden
23
year old LauRen Merola, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2008 from Pittsburgh
22
year old Lindsey Jo Harrington, Miss Oklahoma USA 2008 from Frederick
20
year old Leah Laviano, Miss Mississippi USA 2008 from Ellisville
25
year old Hailey Laine Brown, Miss Tennessee USA 2008 from South Fulton
26
year old Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA 2008 from Missouri City
21
year old Brittany Mason, Miss Indiana USA 2008 from Anderson
22
year old Jessica Rafalowski, Miss Florida USA 2008 from Deland
Co-hosts Donny and Marie Osmond announce the 5 finalists competing for the title of Miss USA 2008 on Friday, April 11, 2008 from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino Theatre for the Performing Arts Las Vegas, Nevada. From left are: Leah Laviano, Miss Mississippi USA 2008; Tiffany Andrade, Miss New Jersey USA 2008; Lindsey Jo Harrington, Miss Oklahoma USA 2008; Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA 2008; and LauRen Merola, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2008.
Miss Florida USA Recap
It was a great night for pageantry in Florida as our states representative Jessica Rafalowski proved to be a very formidable competitor as she achieved a top 10 finalist placement. She joined Miss Florida USA Alumni LauRen Merola (Pennsylvania USA – 4th Runner Up) and Amy Diaz (Rhode Island USA – Top 15) as they competed before the television cameras and a sold out audience at Planet Hollywood’s Performing Arts Theater. A fourth alumni Danielle Roundtree (New York USA) competed but did not qualify for Friday’s onstage competition.
The
Rafalowski girls with Miss Universe & Ms. Rafalowsk and Ms. Stewart
congratulate each other
Ms.
Witek, Ms. Rafalowski, Ms. Merola and Ms. Krieger at the coronation ball
Miss
USA Crystal Stewart & Ms. Merola with a very proud mom
Jillian
Wunderlich Miss Florida Teen USA joins our friends from Texas and Arizona
Our Ms. Rafalowski was in great spirits as we caught up at The Coronation Ball proceeding the telecast. Excited to be a finalist it was great to see all of her fellow delegates congratulate her on a job well done! It was also great to see such a turnout by the Sunshine State as several of our directors and titleholders were in the house Friday night. Look for pictures today and more on Monday as we finish recapping our national championship of pageantry!
The
Rafalowski men with Miss Florida USA 2005 Melissa Witek, Miss Florida America
2007 (Miss Ft. Myers USA 2007) Allison Krieger with good friend Kristen Laneri
pre-pageant
Miss Volusia County USA 2009 Megan Clementi and Miss Daytona Beach USA 2009
Emily
Kuchar join Regalia Fine Apparel’s David Lang pre-pageant (left) &
Ms. Rafalowski with our outgoing Miss USA Rachel Smith