Miss America 2013: Miss New York Mallory Hagan tops South Carolina’s Ali Rogers

While a good percentage of Americans were probably busy on Saturday night getting themselves completely immersed into NFL football, there was another major event happening over on ABC: the Miss America pageant. On a number of weeks after Olivia Culpo became the first Miss USA in over a decade to win Miss Universe, Chris Harrison of “The Bachelor” helped to crown a winner of his own in a method that did not include a final rose.

So who came out on top? The answer is Miss New York Mallory Hagan, who managed to beat out first runner-up Ali Rogers of South Carolina for the title. Alicia Clifton of Oklahoma ended up receiving the title of second-runner up. It’s rather interesting in a way how Hagan is only a matter of a few hours away from Culpo’s own home state of Rhode Island, and it shows that this year the major beauty pageants all have a decidedly northeastern flair to them.

For those unfamiliar with the pageant world, the Miss America pageant differs slightly from its competitor in that it still features a talent round, which Hagan used to show off her tap-dancing skills. What is also slightly interesting about her story in particular is that she previously competed for Miss Alabama, but entered the New York circuit shortly after moving to the city in order to attend school.

What do you think about Hagan coming out on top this year, and do you find the Miss America pageant any more enjoyable than Miss USA? If we only had one criticism, it would be that it, like most others, tends to drag at times. Be sure to share your thoughts below, and you can also read up on the Miss Universe pageant here.

Photo: ABC