Miss America: ‘Three-peats,’ red cups and bare feet

Miss New York Kira Kazantsev was crowned Miss America on Sunday night in Atlantic City, following in the footsteps of two other Empire State victors: 2013 winner Mallory Hagan and 2014 winner Nina Davuluri.


Kazantsev may owe her crown to a plastic red cup. She sang Pharrell Williams’ hit song “Happy” while sitting barefoot on the stage and keeping time by banging a cup on the floor. Inspired by actress Anna Kendrick’s number in the 2012 film “Pitch Perfect,” the act got viewers — including Kendrick herself — tweeting.