Miss USA hopefuls take stage in Vegas to crown pageant winner, country’s pick to Miss Universe

Miss USA hopefuls take stage at Vegas pageant

LAS VEGAS — A group of 51 beauty queens had their eyes set on the 2010 Miss USA title Sunday, but just 15 remained in the competition after the pageant’s opening number in Las Vegas.

The first cuts came after the contestants danced onstage to “TiK ToK” by Ke$ha at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 15 finalists were: Miss Arkansas USA Adrielle Churchill, Miss Kansas USA Bethany Gerber, Miss Michigan USA Rima Fakih, Miss Wyoming USA Claire Schreiner, Miss Pennsylvania USA Gina Cerilli, Miss California USA Nicole Michele Johnson, Miss Colorado USA Jessica Hartman, Miss Tennessee USA Tucker Perry, Miss Oklahoma USA Morgan Elizabeth Woolard, Miss Missouri USA Ashley Strohmier, Miss Alabama USA Audrey Moore, Miss Nebraska USA Belinda Renee Wright, Miss Virginia USA Samantha Evelyn Casey, Miss Mississippi USA Courtney Breanne Ponder and Miss Maine USA Katherine Ashley Whittier.

A panel of eight judges, including NBA star Carmelo Anthony and Treasure Island casino-hotel owner Phil Ruffin, were judging the girls throughout the night in swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions.

Comedian Joan Rivers, who provided backstage color commentary for the pageant with her daughter, Melissa, said the 15 remaining contestants all seemed poised.

“You can’t buy poise,” she said. “It’s like herpes, you either have it or you don’t.”

After being announced, the finalists rushed backstage to change into their swimsuits, then strutted across the stage while pop-rock band Boys Like Girls performed “Heart Heart Heartbreak.”

The eventual winner will replace Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton and represent the United States in the 2010 Miss Universe pageant later this year.

The pageant aired live to East Coast viewers on NBC. The network owns the pageant in a joint venture with Donald Trump.

The competition, which is not affiliated with the Miss America pageant, was hosted by celebrity chef Curtis Stone and NBC correspondent Natalie Morales.

On the Net:

www.missuniverse.com/missusa