Princeton Student Wins Miss New Jersey Pageant

Cara McCollum, a 20-year-old Princeton University student, was crowned Miss New Jersey on Saturday night at the conclusion of a three-day pageant on the Ocean City Music Pier.

McCollum will represent New Jersey in the Miss America Pageant in September — and she won't have to travel far to do so.

The Miss America Pageant returns to Atlantic City this year after being held in Las Vegas since 2006. Atlantic City crowned the first Miss America in 1921, and the pageant became a September tradition in the resort for 85 years.

McCollum competed in the state pageant as Miss Island Resort. She moved to Princeton with her family after growing up in Arkansas. She studies journalism at the university there and is a member of the New Jersey Ghost Hunters Society. Her talent is piano and her platform is "Giving the Gift of Reading." She wins an $11,000 scholarship.

Among the other Top 5 finalists were:

• First runner-up: Brenna Weick, 18, Mantua, High Point University
• Second runner-up: Lindsey Giannini, 18, Hammonton, Rowan University
• Third runner-up: Cierra Kaler-Jones, 19, Galloway Township, Rutgers University
• Fourth runner-up: Kaitlyn Schoeffel, 19, Egg Harbor Township, Montclair State University

About 1,000 people watched Saturday night's pageant finale on the Ocean City Music Pier, where the annual event has been held since 1995. It was the 80th annual Miss New Jersey Pageant.

Each of the finalists among 23 total contestants performed a talent and displayed swimsuit and evening gown wear. Only the Top 5, announced later in the evening, were interviewed by emcee Dena Blizzard, Miss New Jersey 1995.

When reigning Miss New Jersey Lindsey Petrosh in a video tribute reminded the audience that the Miss America Pageant would return to Atlantic City, the crowd erupted in applause.