Miss America competition gets under way in Las Vegas

Miss Oklahoma and Miss South Carolina have moved one step closer to claiming the Miss America title this weekend.

Miss Oklahoma Alicia Clifton's tap dance performance to "Money Can't Buy Me Love" earned her top honors Tuesday night at the first day of the preliminary Miss America competition at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The 21-year-old from Oklahoma City will take home a $2,000 Amway scholarship.

Miss South Carolina Ali Rogers took the trophy for the first round of the Lifestyle and Fitness category after modeling a white Catalina swimsuit. The 20-year-old from Laurens, S.C., will take home a $1,000 Amway scholarship.

Contestants are divided into three groups and compete in different categories during three nights of preliminaries. Their scores will factor in the finals, which will be broadcast live on Saturday.

The 92nd title holder will be crowned at the end of the pageant by Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler from Wisconsin.

Among the contestants is Allyn Rose of Washington , D.C., who was among the top eight in the 2011 Miss USA pageant.

Rose, 24, has said she will undergo a double mastectomy after the pageant. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was 16 and she has learned that she has the genetic mutation that predisposes her to early breast cancer.