Miss America Pageant: D.C. And Tennessee Contestants Earn Wins

The 2017 Miss America pageant kicked off in Atlantic City Monday night with the talent and swimsuit competitions.

Miss America Pageant

The winner of the Miss America talent competition last night was Miss Tennessee, Grace Burgess. Burgess’s talent was singing, and she performed 1973 Eagles hit “Desperado,” reported the Star-Ledger.  “It’s such an honor to be able to walk on that stage in the first place,” Burgess, 22, said of her win, which earned her a $2,000 scholarship.

Burgess, who is majoring in child development at the University of Memphis, plans to pursue a master’s degree in child studies at Vanderbilt University.

As for the swimsuit competition, that was won by Miss District of Columbia, Cierra Jackson. She hit the stage in a bright pink bikini as Meghan Trainor‘s “Me Too” blasted over the speakers.

“You let your light shine and then other people are able to see that,” Jackson said following her win.

For winning the “Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit” competition, Jackson earned a $1,000 scholarship. Jackson graduated from Spelman College and currently works as a communications intern at the White House.

Miss America 2017 preliminary competitions will continue Sept. 7 and 8. The final night of the competition will be Sept. 11 at 9 p.m. EST.