Miss Florida Loses Crown After Tabulation Error

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Just six days into her reign as Miss Florida, Elizabeth Fechtel’s crown was taken away.

The pageant organization said there was a tabulation error– a judge allegedly made a change on a score sheet that was not caught until the points for each contestant were later reviewed.

According to beauty pageant coach Valerie Hayes, mistakes like this can cost more than a crown.

“You really need to pay attention, because it really does impact these girls’ self-esteem, their eligibility for scholarships, and sometimes their future career path,” Hayes said. “This is the worst nightmare in every pageant director’s life… and it’s a lose-lose situation.”

The real Miss Florida winner is reportedly first runner-up, Victoria Cohen.


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