A former lifeguard who lifts weights to stay in shape wore a two-piece swimsuit to win the final night of preliminary competition leading up to the 77th Miss America Pageant.
Miss California Rebekah Keller donned a simple pink two-piece suit in winning Thursday's preliminary competition, making it 2-for-3 of the preliminary swimsuit winners who took advantage of the new rule allowing two-piece suits this year.Miss Hawaii Erika Kauffman wore a two-piece suit Wednesday.
Keller, 22, of Lakewood, Calif., is a 1996 graduate of Azusa Pacific University. The svelte brunette, who spent four summers as a lifeguard, said she prepared for the swimsuit competition this summer by lifting weights and running on a treadmill for an hour a day.
She said there may be a message in the fact that two of the three preliminary swimsuit winners chose to wear two-piece suits.
"It just shows that individuality is so important for us to be able to express," Keller said.
Miss North Carolina Michelle Warren won the talent competition Thursday with her rendition of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," from the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls."
Warren, 22, of Gastonia, N.C., is a senior at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She wants to be an ophthalmologist.
Preliminary competitions in talent, swimsuit and evening wear are held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday leading up to Saturday evening's finals. Evening gown winners are not announced.
On Tuesday, Miss New Jersey Kathy Nejat and Miss Illinois Katherine Shindle won in swimsuit and talent, respectively. Nejat wore a one-piece suit. On Wednesday, Kauffman won in swimsuit and Miss Florida Christy Neuman in talent.
Also Thursday, Miss Minnesota Jennifer Ostergaard, 22, of Winona, Minn., won a $10,000 scholarship and the Miss America Quality of Life Award for her volunteer work to combat child abuse.