PORTLAND — After finishing the evening gown event, Jordon Hudson joined the lineup of contestants who were called back out to the stage.
As she did all night, Hudson stood confidently for the judges. But before turning to leave the stage, she fired a wink to her left to where one of the greatest coaches in NFL history was sitting.
Bill Belichick, sitting front row, was keeping a low profile as he attended the pageant. But he did return a knowing nod to Hudson as she left the stage.
It was one of the few times the former New England Patriots coach had a visible reaction during the preliminary competition held Saturday at the Holiday Inn Portland-By The Bay.
Belichick slipped in right before the event started to grab a front-row seat all the way to the right of the stage. The 73-year-old coach wore a shirt, tie and dark jacket to the event.
The 24-year-old Hudson represented her hometown of Hancock as she competed in the swimsuit and evening gown events.
For the swimsuit event, Hudson wore a revealing green two-piece. For the evening gown portion, she wore a sparking strapless purple ankle-length evening gown with a long leg slit.
According to the hosts, the contestants were judged on “poise, stage presence, confidence and overall impression.”
The preliminaries concluded after the completion of the evening gown event. At that point, press in attendance for the event were asked to leave in order to allow family and freinds to spend a moment with contestants in privacy.
After that, the contestants were set to hold a “pajama and pizza party,” according to the hosts.
Belichick didn’t stick around long. The North Carolina coach was led across the room and out a side door moments after the event ended.
There were no results announced following the preliminaries. The finals are set for Sunday at 1 p.m., at which point a new Miss Maine USA will be crowned.
