Photo Gallery Of Miss America 2017 (#10 Will Surprise You A Lot)

Shields chuckled and said: "Ha, sorry that's kinda amusing", before gathering her composure.

Shields, 21, celebrated her big night with a shout-out to her Twitter followers after the event.

Miss America 2017 receives a $50,000 scholarship and a six-figure worth of a year's expense.

She was declared the Miss America victor, among 52 contestants who vied for the prestigious title.

"If you're trying to be leader of the free world, everything you say and do matters". I think going back at what my previous contestant said, both of these contestants have done a great job.

CBS News reports that this year's Miss America judges were most impressed by the looks and talents of Miss Arkansas, applauding her dance moves to the tune of "They Just Keep Moving the Line", a song from NBC's Smash. "It is just as important for people to realize I am not one dimensional", she told the New York Times prior to the competition.

After her run as Miss America, Savvy will return to the University of Arkansas as a senior studying art and long-term she wants to "work in a museum and teach at a collegiate level". She also dreams of a day when she'll be able to take the stage with Beyoncé as a backup dancer, The Associated Press noted.

Miss South Carolina Rachel Wyatt was named the first runner-up and won a $25,00 scholarship.

She was the first openly gay contestant to win a state title.

The rest of the top 15 finalists came from California, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

The nationally televised finale will be held in Boardwalk Hall. Numerous contestants noted the solemn anniversary, professed strong support for America's armed forces and struck patriotic themes.

Neither did Miss Michigan Arianna Quan, who made headlines earlier this week when she spoke out against critics who said she was too "ugly" to be in the competition.

Sunday's pageant had included contestants from all 50 states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

During the interview part of the pageant in Atlantic City, the interviewer asked Shields what she thought of Hillary Clinton.