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First runner-up for three years, Sarah Tubbs is 2019 Miss N.H.

DERRY — After being named first runner-up for three years in a row, Sarah Tubbs of Sandown took home the Miss New Hampshire crown on Saturday night.

“Every year that I haven’t won Miss New Hampshire, I decided to take it upon myself to do the things I would do as Miss New Hampshire anyways,” she said in an interview after the scholarship competition was over.

“So, I’ve been practicing being Miss New Hampshire for all the times I was first runner-up for three years. That’s what made me prepared,” said Tubbs, who served as Miss Stratham 2019.

This was the first year Miss New Hampshire followed the new Miss America 2.0 format announced last year. The Granite State is the first in the nation to roll out the format during a statewide competition.

One of the major changes in the program is the elimination of the swimsuit competition. Talent is now 50 percent of a candidate’s preliminary score.

“It feels great to enter this new journey with the Miss America 2.0 program being the very first titleholder to win under this new format,” Tubbs said.

Tubbs is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. She performed a lyrical dance to “There You’ll Be” by Faith Hill during the talent portion of the competition.

In the audience was President and CEO of the Miss America Organization Regina Hopper. She spoke on stage about the changes to the competition. She also thanked Brenda Keith of the Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Competition for her dedication as a member of the Miss America Board of Trustees.

“Without Brenda Keith, there would not be these great things happening at Miss America,” Hopper said.

Tubbs will represent New Hampshire at Miss America in September.

The top finishers in Miss New Hampshire this year were fourth runner-up Ashley Marsh, Miss Isles of Shoals; third runner-up Brooke Mills, Miss Winnipesaukee; second runner-up Katie Carlson, Miss Exeter; and first runner-up Jana El-Sayed, Miss Kingston.

Candidates in the competition took home $77,000 in scholarship money this year.

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