Miss America 2016 Preliminary Competition Winners

(L-R): Miss South Carolina 2015 Daja Dia, Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev and Miss Iowa 2015 Taylor Wiebers

The Miss America 2016 preliminary competition was held yesterday September 8, 2015 at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall. Miss Iowa 2015 Taylor Wiebers won the Talent show with her vocal performance of “Don’t Forget Me” from the musical TV series “Smash.”  Taylor will receive a $2,000 scholarship.
"I was a huge fan of that show," Wiebers said afterwards. "That's what all we contestants want: We don't want the judges to forget us."

Talent winner Miss Iowa 2015 Taylor Wiebers

While Miss South Carolina 2015 Daja Dial won the preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness show in a swimsuit. Daja will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Dial said she developed a fitness regimen in three years of cheerleading in her home state — tempted at times by her grandparents' soul food restaurant and their delicious but fattening favorite dishes.

"Exercising has become routine," she said. "It's been a part of my everyday life."

Lifestyle and fitness winner Miss South Carolina 2015 Daja Dial

The panel of preliminary competition judges included publicist and talent producer Brian Edwards, Miss America 1979 Kylene Barker, producer Jenni Pulos, fashion and style expert Rachel Zalis, fashion designer Noah Alexander, D.C. lobbyist Lanny Griffith, and actor/model James Brown III

The grand finale of the Miss America 2016 will hold on Sunday, September 13 live at Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey. And Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev will crown her successor at the end of the event. To be broadcasted on ABC and streamed to mobile devices and Xbox 360 consoles via the WatchABC app.

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Photo Credit: Pageants News