| Miss America 1985 | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 15, 1984 |
| Presenters | Gary Collins |
| Venue | Boardwalk Hall,Atlantic City,New Jersey |
| Broadcaster | NBC |
| Winner | Sharlene Wells Hawkes Utah |
← 1984 1986 → | |
Miss America 1985, the 58thMiss America pageant, was broadcast from theBoardwalk Hall inAtlantic City, New Jersey, on September 15, 1984 onNBC Network.[1]
The winner,Paraguay nativeSharlene Wells,[2] became the first foreign-born Miss America. She later became a horse-racing and football commentator forESPN.
Another of the five finalists,Lauren Green, is currently a correspondent on theFox News Channel.
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss America 1985 | |
| 1st Runner-Up | |
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up | |
| 4th Runner-Up | |
| Top 10 |
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(March 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Lifestyle and Fitness |
|
| Talent |
|
| Awards | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Talent |
| This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(September 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| State | Name | Hometown | Age | Talent | Placement | Special Awards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alabama | Tammy Little | Section | 23 | Vocal, "Hit Me with a Hot Note" fromSophisticated Ladies | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Alaska | Maryline Blackburn | Anchorage | 23 | Vocal, "I Am What I Am" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Arizona | Rhonda White | Central | 20 | Country Vocal Medley | |||
 Arkansas | Lisa Stevens | Arkadelphia | 22 | Flute, "Sabre Dance" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 California | Donna Grace Cherry | Northridge | 24 | Singing Impressions | |||
 Colorado | Lisa Frees | Thornton | 25 | Vocal, "I Got Rhythm" | |||
 Connecticut | Joanne Caruso | Trumbull | 23 | Clarinet, "Jazz Medley" | Sister ofMiss Connecticut 1980, Jeanne Caruso | ||
 Delaware | Nancy Lynn Ball | Rehoboth Beach | 24 | Jazz Ballet en Pointe | |||
 District of Columbia | Desiree Keating | Silver Spring, MD | 22 | Interpretive Dance | LaterMiss District of Columbia USA 1986 | ||
 Florida | Lisa Valdez | Bradenton | 21 | Vocal, "Through the Eyes of Love" | |||
 Georgia | Camille Bentley | Thomasville | 19 | Popular Vocal, "Until Now" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Hawaii | Debbie Nakanelua | Honolulu | 26 | Stylized Hula, "Hawaiian Hula Eyes" | Top 10 | ||
 Idaho | Patty Hoag | Burley | 19 | Popular Vocal, "Wind Beneath My Wings" | |||
 Illinois | Ruth Booker | Chicago | 21 | Vocal, "Kiss Me in the Rain" | |||
 Indiana | Cynthia Yantis | Fort Wayne | 23 | Popular Vocal, "City Lights" | |||
 Iowa | Debra Deitering | Missouri Valley | 23 | Vocal, "This is My Life" | |||
 Kansas | Nancy Lee Cobb | Wichita | 20 | Piano/Vocal, "I Love New Orleans Music" | |||
 Kentucky | Kelly Lin Brumagen | Lexington | 22 | Vocal, "Le Jazz Hot!" fromVictor/Victoria | Top 10 | Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship | |
 Louisiana | Nita Whitaker | Shreveport | 24 | Popular Vocal, "Over the Rainbow" | First African American to winMiss Louisiana | ||
 Maine | Lisa Johnson | South Portland | 22 | Electric Violin | |||
 Maryland | Mary Elizabeth Haroth | Towson | 25 | Vocal, "Memory" fromCats | |||
 Massachusetts | Margaret O'Brien | Weymouth | 26 | Vocal Medley, "The Man that Got Away", "The Man I Love", & "My Man" | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | PreviouslyNational Sweetheart 1983 |
 Michigan | Barbara Jean Crandall | Lawrence | 21 | Ventriloquism, "Auctioneer's Song" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Minnesota | Lauren Green | Minneapolis | 26 | Piano, "Étude Op. 10, No. 4 in C-Sharp Minor" byFrédéric Chopin | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | First African AmericanMiss Minnesota |
 Mississippi | Kathy Manning | Drew | 22 | Country Vocal, "Crazy" | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | LaterMiss Mississippi USA 1987 Top 11 atMiss USA 1987 Katharine Clare Manning Loeb died at 59 on December 23, 2021 of COVID-19 related illness in Tennessee. |
 Missouri | Anna Schell | Kennett | 26 | Semi-classical Vocal, Medley fromThe Sound of Music | |||
 Montana | Michele Larson | Billings | 21 | Vocal, "My Tribute" byAndraé Crouch | |||
 Nebraska | Allison Boyd | Nebraska City | 21 | Acrobatic Dance | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Nevada | LeAnna Grant | Las Vegas | 22 | Vocal, "I Love Paris" | LaterMiss Nevada USA 1986 | ||
 New Hampshire | Corinne Lucier | Hooksett | 20 | Vocal, "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" fromCamelot | |||
 New Jersey | Patricia La Terra | West New York | 24 | Dramatic Monologue | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 New Mexico | Trina Collins | Hobbs | 22 | Acrobatic Dance | Mother ofMiss Indiana 2015, Morgan Jackson | ||
 New York | Mary-Ann Farrell | New York City | 22 | Classical Piano,Danzas Argentinas | Top 10 | Preliminary Talent Award | Sister ofMiss Florida 1985, Monica Farrell
|
 North Carolina | Francesca Adler | Fayetteville | 23 | Vocal, "Home" | Mother ofMiss America's Outstanding Teen 2018, Jessica Baeder | ||
 North Dakota | Callie Northagen | Grand Forks | 21 | Piano | |||
 Ohio | Melissa Ann Bradley | Mansfield | 23 | Vocal, "A Piece of Sky" fromYentl | 1st runner-up | Mother of actorChad Buchanan | |
 Oklahoma | Julie Sunday | Owasso | 21 | Piano | |||
 Oregon | Renee Bagley | Portland | 22 | Popular Vocal, "Don't Cry Out Loud" | |||
 Pennsylvania | Gina Major | Huntsville | 24 | Vocal,Judy Garland Medley | |||
 Rhode Island | Joanna Minisce | North Smithfield | 19 | Modern Jazz Dance | |||
 South Carolina | Vicki Harrell | Columbia | 22 | Piano | |||
 South Dakota | Debra Cleveland | Madison | 19 | Classical Piano | |||
 Tennessee | Shelly Mangrum | Nashville | 23 | Vocal, "And the World Goes 'Round" | Top 10 | ||
 Texas | Tamara Hext | Fort Worth | 21 | Vocal, "I've Got a Crush on You" | 4th runner-up | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | |
 Utah | Sharlene Wells | Salt Lake City | 20 | Spanish Vocal & Paraguayan Harp, "Mis Noches Sin Ti" | Winner | Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness Award | First foreign-bornMiss America
|
 Vermont | Lorrie Glosick | Winooski | 21 | Vocal, "The Trolley Song" | |||
 Virginia | Susan Carter Parker | Covington | 23 | Classical Vocal, "My Man's Gone Now" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||
 Washington | Rebecca Wood | Spokane | 21 | Vocal, "If I Ruled the World" | |||
 West Virginia | Melanne Pennington | Cross Lanes | 24 | Semi-classical Vocal, "One Kiss" fromThe New Moon | Died fromLeukemia at the age of 28 in 1988 | ||
 Wisconsin | Barbara Marie Mullally | Onalaska | 22 | Vocal, "Here I Am" | |||
 Wyoming | Annie Easterbrook | Laramie | 21 | Gymnastics Jazz Dance |
