Miss Rhode Island recovers from fainting to compete in Miss America pageant

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Miss Rhode Island was able to compete in the Miss America pageant Wednesday night, despite collapsing on stage Tuesday night and a return trip to the hospital Wednesday afternoon.

There was considerable uncertainty until shortly before show time as to whether Ivy DePew, who holds a master’s degree from Brown University, would be able to compete. She collapsed onstage during the first night of preliminaries Tuesday and was taken to a hospital with what pageant officials revealed Wednesday was dehydration.

DePew rehearsed in the afternoon, then began to feel ill again and went back again to the hospital, but was released in time to compete. She performed “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” on the flute, and used her personal introduction speech to make a wry reminder of her ordeal.

“I’d like to thank out sponsor, AtlanticCare Regional Medical Center,” she said.

The talent competition was won by Miss Kentucky, Ramsey Carpenter, who played the fiddle.

In Tuesday night’s preliminary round, Miss Florida Victoria Cowen won the swimsuit competition, while Miss Ohio Mackenzie Bart won the talent competition for a ventriloquism routine.

The next Miss America will be crowned in Sunday night’s nationally televised finale.