On Thursday, December 17th women from all over the country competed for the shot at being Miss America. There was a chance that one woman from Iowa would make history.

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Grace Lynn Keller, a University of Iowa graduate won the Miss Iowa pageant last spring.  She went into the competition with the Miss Northern Iowa title, where she represented the Iowa City region. However, she came out of it with the Miss Iowa crown.


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The first six months of her year-long reign as Miss Iowa included visits to 23 libraries across the state for her social impact initiative. Keller is working to promote literacy for all students across the state.

Courtesy of Grace Lynn Keller
Courtesy of Grace Lynn Keller
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Keller competed in the Miss America competition in mid-December, and the live show took place Thursday, December 16th. This was the first year that the show streamed live on Peacock. She did not end up winning the competition. No Miss Iowa has EVER won this before.

While we don't know her score or ranking, we do know that she did not make the top ten. Only those who placed in the top would get to compete in the live show. 


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The top ten in the competition were:

  • Lauren Bradford  (Alabama)
  • Elizabeth Pierre (Massachusetts)
  • Emma Broyles (Alaska)
  • Andolyn Medina (District of Columbia)
  • Leah Roddenberry (Florida)
  • Isabelle Hanson (Illinois)
  • Pierre, Sydney Park (New York)
  • Abigail Hayes (Oregon)
  • Mallory Fuller (Texas)
  •  Sasha Sloan (Utah)

The top three in the pageant were Miss Massachusetts as second-runner up, Miss Alabama as first-runner up, and Emma Broyles Miss Alaska getting a bit of a promotion to Miss America.

Broyles is the first Miss Alaska to be crowned Miss America. 

While she isn't our new Miss America, Keller knows that if she did win she would be experiencing nothing but gratitude for the family, friends, and supporters who got her to the place to even try for this title.

"I just would owe it all to them and just be so grateful to have that village behind me. And to have had them kind of carry me to that moment," the reigning Miss Iowa said.

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