Cosmopolitan: 8 Women To Watch at This Year’s Miss America Pageant

Cosmopolitan online released their predictions for the 2018 Miss America pageant on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017. See what they predict for JessiKate Riley below.

The first cut is the deepest: at the beginning of each year’s Miss America, we watch as 51 women with teased tresses and contoured cheekbones anxiously clutch hands, waiting to find out if they will have scored high enough in the preliminary competition to compete on stage in front of a national audience. They’ve already endured a week of interviews, talent performances, swimsuit and evening gown competitions; they’re scored on their fitness and stage presence in swimsuit; skill level and entertainment factor in talent; beauty and style in evening gown; and intelligence and personality in the private interview and on-stage question.

JessiKate Riley, just like her name, is cute as a button. Fresh-faced with big blue eyes and long dark hair, the 20-year-old is beautiful yet approachable, like the popular girl in high school you could never hate on because she was too nice.

A classically trained violinist, her performance is one of the best in a pageant since Gretchen Carlson won Miss America performing Ziguenerweisen” in 1988. And when she’s away from her treasured instrument — a 115-year-old Austrian violin she’s named Sam — Riley is literally climbing mountains to stay in top swimsuit shape.

PREDICTION: You’ll hear her making sweet music in the top 10.

Read about the other top contenders, according to Cosmopolitan HERE.