Atlantic City NJ – Georgia’s own Betty (Vasiliki) Cantrell won the Miss America contest last night. Cantrell answered a difficult question about deflate gate during the Q&A portion of the program, that she thought may have cost her the evening. “If there was a question there, then yes, I think he cheated,” she said. “If there was any question to be had I think that he definitely cheated, and that he should’ve been suspended for that.”
For the talent portion of the competition, she performed Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio from Madame Butterfly. But her talents and background told of another story. Cantrell is of Greek and German descent and was named after her Greek grandmother. In her official bio, she lists singing in her Greek Orthodox Church choir and involvement in her church’s Greek folk dance group.
Kira Kazantsev (Miss New York 2014) crowned her successor, Miss Georgia 2015, Betty Cantrell at the end of the two-hour nationally televised event. Cantrell was the 89th Miss America pageant winner.
Video by Amanda Marzullo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com