Jennifer Berry, Miss Oklahoma 2005, was crowned Miss America 2006 on Saturday night in Las Vegas - the first time the pageant has ever been held outside Atlantic City, NJ. Berry is a senior at OU, where she is majoring in elementary education, but you hope she's also dancing some since she won the pageant's talent competition with a ballet performance earlier this week.

She has become the fifth Oklahoman to win the title. (Since the state name ends in "ma," I don't think the word is sexist, and I think "Oklahowoman" would be a lot worse. Say it out loud if you don't understand why.) The first so honored, Norma Smallwood (1927), went on to become the first wife of oil millionaire and art collector Thomas Gilcrease, starting a tradition of Oklahoma winners staying in the public light.

The second Sooner Miss America, Jane Jayroe (1966), parlayed her fame and talents into more than two decades on local television and in state government. Number 3, Susan Powell (1980), is the one and only host of Home Matters on the Discovery Channel; Number 4, Shawntel Smith, hosts some local television and had a street named after her in her hometown of Muldrow.

Congratulations to Miss Berry, who is the first Miss America from Oklahoma since 1927 who is not a student at OCU, and here's hoping it doesn't injure that fine school's pride too much. (I also can't believe I posted this before Charles or Mike, but I've been off my sleep lately.) [Update: Charles has now weighed in with several similar points, as has Mike.]

Here's also hoping the move to Las Vegas doesn't hurt her too much:

Because of the organization's financial troubles, the Associated Press reported last week, the new Miss America will receive only $30,000, which is $20,000 less than her immediate predecessors.

(Though between you and me, any year it's not Miss California, Miss Texas, or Miss Florida, I'm happy.)