DESERET NEWS, Sept. 16. 1984: ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (UPI) -- Miss Utah, Sharlene Wells, a strawberry blond jogger who grew up in South America, was crowned Miss America 1985 Saturday night to cap the most controversial year in the pageant's history.
The 20-year-old Brigham Young University junior, who wants to be a television anchorwoman, smiled broadly as tears rolled down her cheeks after master of ceremonies Gary Collins called out her name to climax the pageant's two-hour television extravaganza.Wells paused while Suzette Charles, Miss America 1984 since a flap over a set of nude pictures dethroned Vanessa Williams, placed the rhinestone-studded crown on her head. Then she slowly took the traditional stroll down the Convention Hall runway as a capacity crowd of 21,000 stood and cheered wildly and millions more watched at home.