Miss America follows predecessors and poses on Atlantic City beach

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The new Miss America followed in the footsteps of her predecessors and posed for pictures in the Atlantic City surf.

Kira Kazantsev of New York celebrated Monday, one day after winning Sunday night’s pageant with the help of a red plastic cup.

For her talent performance, Kazantsev sang Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” while sitting cross-legged and banging a red plastic cup on the floor. That immediately touched off a furor on social media networks, where many were critical of her performance.

Kazantsev plans to speak out against domestic violence during her yearlong reign and she’ll call on lawmakers to combat sexual assault in the military.

Her victory marked the third year in a row that a contestant from her state has won the crown.