The reigning Miss oklahoma City was crowned Miss Oklahoma 2017 Saturday night at Mabee Center in Tulsa. Judges were convinced that Triana Browne, 24, is the best among the contestants to represent Oklahoma this fall at the Miss America 2018 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Oklahoma’s state pageant is among the most widely watched because the state is one of the most successful competitors at the national event. If she is crowned, Browne will become the seventh woman from Oklahoma to reign as Miss America. The most recent successful contestant from the state is Miss America 2007 Lauren Nelson.

National pageant in September

There will be three days of preliminary competition for Miss America beginning September 6. On September 9, contestants will take a break from competition to participate in the “Show Us Your Shoes” parade on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. On September 10, ABC will televise the final night of pageantry live and allow millions to witness the crowning of a new Miss America.

Judging criteria

TV ratings services have shown that the swimsuit competition is the portion of the pageant audiences watch most, but it is not the most important portion of the competition for judging purposes. On the final night of pageantry, only 10 percent of a contestant’s score is the result of her performance in the swimsuit competition.

Thirty percent of the final score is based on the talent competition, 20 percent is based on answers to the final question posed to contestants in the competition, 15 percent is awarded on the basis of the evening gown competition, and 20 percent represents composite scores in all categories from the preliminary competitions.

Oklahoma’s top teen

Also over the weekend, Evelyn Smith was crowned Miss Oklahoma’s Outstanding Teen 2017. The pageant is the younger-sister pageant within the Miss America Organization for girls ages 12-17. Smith will join contestants from the other 50 states and the District of Columbia later this year at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition in Orlando, Florida.

Two Oklahoma girls have worn the national crown since the state began participating in the pageant in 2003. Successful contestants include the reigning teen, Nicole Jia of Oklahoma City, and Miss Oklahoma’s Outstanding Teen 2010 Lacey Russ. The teen pageant features many of the categories that are part of the Miss America pageant, but the teens do not compete in a swimsuit competition. The teens have an active wear category instead.