Miss New York Wins Miss America For Third Year In A Row
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5416f5166bb3f72a373a4129-1200-600/miss-america-kira-kazantsev-1.jpg" border="0" alt="miss america Kira Kazantsev">
Miss New York Kira Kazantsev was crowned <span>the new Miss America on Sunday night <span>in Atlantic City, N.J.</span>, marking the third year in a row that a contestant from the state has won the nationally televised pageant.</span><span>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The 23-year-old beauty queen beat out </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">52 other contestants to win the title and <span>a $50,000 scholarship.</span></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>How did she do it?</span></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Kazantsev <span>argued that sexual assault against women in the military needs to be addressed, her <span>platform is "Love Shouldn't Hurt: Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence," and she proudly rocked the bikini portion.</span></span></span></span><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5416f965ecad04b8153a4135-1200-600/miss-america-kira-kazantsev-3.jpg" border="0" alt="miss america Kira Kazantsev" style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span><span><span>For her talent, <span>Kazantsev <span>sang Pharrell's "Happy" <span>while sitting cross-legged on the stage while using a red plastic cup as a drum.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span><span><span><span><span><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5416f8ff6da811764d06f4b7-1200-600/miss-america-kira-kazantsev-2.jpg" border="0" alt="miss america Kira Kazantsev">
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<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span><span><span><span><span>Watch a clip of her performance here:</span></span></span></span></span></span>
<iframe width="698" frameborder="0" src="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/embed/video/1120002.html"></iframe>
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">There was a bit of a flub during <span>Kazantsev's</span> performance, but it wasn't her fault.</span>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
THEY MISSPELLED JANE AUSTEN!! #MissAmerica pic.twitter.com/Hw7A2Bv1Ce
— Amy Odell (@amyodell) September 15, 2014</blockquote>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5em;"></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The final round of the pageant was between </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Miss Massachusetts Lauren Kuhn, Miss New York Kira Kazantsev, and Miss Virginia Courtney Paige Garrett. Garrett took first runner up and Kuhn took second runner up honors.</span><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5416f53feab8eadd330c3934-1200-1000/miss-america-2.jpg" border="0" alt="miss america Kira Kazantsev" style="line-height: 1.5em;">
<span>Kazantsev gasped after she was named Miss America 2015.</span><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5416f591ecad044e023a4129-1200-1200/miss-america-3.jpg" border="0" alt="Miss New York Kira Kazantsev"><span>Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri crowned Kazantsev the new winner.</span><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5416f5d46da811074206f4b4-1200-1500/miss-america-4.jpg" border="0" alt="miss america Kira Kazantsev "><span>Contestants rushed to congratulate her.</span><img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5416f621ecad04be023a4134-1200-800/miss-america-5.jpg" border="0" alt="miss america Kira Kazantsev"><span>Kazantsev is already embracing the role.</span><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5416f67a69bedd63521a57b2-1200-924/miss-america-6.jpg" border="0" alt="miss america Kira Kazantsev ">
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