Miss America 2012 Was Crowned The Winner - To Find Out Who Won The Competition!

Miss America 2012 was crowned during a live broadcast from Las Vegas Saturday, January 14, 2012.

The winner beat 53 other competitors for the crown, a $ 50,000 scholarship and a stroke a year as Miss America, travels the country speaking to groups and raise money for charity UN official Miss America, the Children's Miracle Network. Find out who won Miss America 2012.

Miss Wisconsin, Laura Kaeppeli was crowned Miss America 2012 by Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan, during the Miss America Saturday, January 14, 2012 in Las Vegas.

The 23 years participated in Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin and has a lyrical solo of Italian song "Il Bacio" for the talent competition. His platform was the support and supervision of children of incarcerated parents. His father told the Associated Press that he had served 18 months in federal prison for wire fraud.

To the question of the interview, Kaeppeli asked whether beauty queens should discuss their political position.

"Miss America represents everyone, so I think the message to political candidates is that they are all well," said Kaeppeli. "And so, in these economic times, we must be looking forward to what America needs, and I think that Miss America needs to represent everyone."

The third runner-up was Miss Arizona, Jennifer Sedler, the second runner-up was Miss New York, Kaitlin Monte and the first runner-up was Miss Oklahoma, Betty Thompson.

OnTheRedCarpet.com caught some of the participants when they were preparing for the competition and got a glimpse of their talents. Discover all our interviews with participants Miss America contest in 2012 and photos of the 53 participants who came from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

The contestants had to impress one of the stars of the jury, which included the reality star Kris Jenner, Univision "El Gordo y La Flaca" host Raul de Molina, executive producer of ABC "The Bachelor" Mike Fleiss, "Dancing With the Stars" pro dancer Mark Ballas, actress Teri Polo in ABC "Man Up," Chris Powell of "Extreme Makeover" and Lara Spencer of ABC's "Good Morning America."

Chris Harrison, host of the ABC reality dating show "The Bachelor" and "Dancing With the Stars" co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet co-hosted the competition for the second consecutive year.

The first Miss America Pageant was held in 1921. The state contest winners are given scores based on their appearance in swimsuits and evening wear on stage and their responses in personal interviews and pre-recorded in response to a question asked during the live broadcast.

The competition should not be confused with the annual competition of Donald Trump Miss USA, which also selects a winner among the beauty queens of the state. The Miss America has a portion of additional talent, in which candidates are judged on the actions they perform, such as singing, dancing and juggling routines.

Pageant officials announced the winners of the preliminary competitions, including Miss Hawaii Cheap Lauren, Miss Oklahoma, Miss Betty Thompson and Wisconsin, Laura Kaeppeli for the portion of talent, and Miss New York Kaitlin Monte, Miss Texas and Miss Kendall Morris Danica Olsen to Utah the swimsuit competition. Look at the pictures of the swimsuit competition of the contest.

"Miss America must be talented, intelligent and well spoken, a leader, have a commitment to her community, be contemporary in style and fashion - a relatable and individual 'it girl' who can connect with the modern woman from TODAY 'Today, as well as being physically fit, "organizers said in a statement.

Teresa Scanlan Miss Nebraska, 17, was crowned Miss America 2011, which earned him a scholarship of $ 50 000 and a stroke a year as Miss America. Scanlan was the youngest winner of the Miss America crown since the first competition of the pageant in 1921, when the District of Columbia Margaret Gorman won in 15 years.