US Air Force lieutenant crowned Miss America 2024

Miss America 2024 Madison Marsh. Photo from Marsh’s Instagram

CNN reported that Marsh, representing Colorado, bested 50 other contestants in the national competition on Sunday.

Before her victory, Marsh was the first active-duty Air Force officer to compete for the Miss America title, The New York Post noted.

As cited by People Magazine, she remarked in an interview shared via Miss America’s Instagram after her win: “You can achieve anything. The sky is not the limit and the only person that’s stopping you is you.”

The U.S Air Force celebrated Marsh’s achievement with a post on X, previously known as Twitter, referring to her as “our very own.”

51 contestants, hailing from 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, participated in the Miss America 2024 final in Florida. Of these, 11 advanced to the semi-final, including 10 selected by preliminary judges and one by public vote.

The semi-finalists then engaged in four competitive rounds, including a fitness runway walk, a “hot topics” discussion, a talent performance, and an evening gown presentation, which led to the selection of the top five finalists.

These finalists were asked to discuss their aspirations as Miss America.

As per CNN, during the discussion round, which covered various topics like terrorism, technology, nutrition, and climate change, Marsh addressed the issue of “drugs in America,” recalling her mother’s struggle with pancreatic cancer.

For the talent portion, Marsh performed a spoken-word piece about obtaining her pilot’s license at 16.