From The National Guard website:
Utah Army National Guard Sgt. Jill Stevens’ quest to capture the crown as the 80th Miss America ended with a flurry of pushups on the stage of the nationally-televised pageant Saturday, Jan. 26.
Stevens, Miss Utah, immediately assumed the front leaning rest position and gave the audience at least 10 pushups after host Mark Steines announced that she would not be one of the evening’s 10 finalists. Other contestants joined “GI Jill” during the brief demonstration of upper-body strength.
She did, however, find satisfaction from winning the America’s Choice part of the competition which made her one of the 16 initial finalists. A panel of celebrity judges eliminated her and five others following the swimsuit competition, the first event during the final night of the pageant televised live on cable’s TLC.
“I think it made a stronger statement than winning Miss America,” Stevens said the following day. “To be America’s Choice is an honor. To me, I won last night.”
Kirsten Haglund, Miss Michigan, won the 2008 Miss America crown, that she will wear for the next year, and a $50,000 college scholarship.
Stevens walked off the stage with a smile and a wave to join the other contestants who the judges had previously eliminated. She received a $4,000 scholarship.