Deemed to not have performed well enough to overcome her lack of classic model measurements, Kari Schmidt, an 18-year-old student from Brookings, SD, became the third girl eliminated from the sixth edition of America's Next Top Model during last night's broadcast of the UPN reality show.
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The next day, J. Alexander met the girls for their first runway lesson and critiqued each of them on their poise and catwalk strut. "You need to be able to slinky-ink down the runway," he explained. "If you can't slinky-ink, you may look stinky-stink."
While many of the girls were unsure of their runway skills, Kari seemed especially nervous to hear J.'s criticism of her effort. Once J.'s initial assessments were given, the stakes were raised when each girl had to use the feedback they had received to sashay down the runway in an evening gown. Kari -- a runway virgin -- stumbled repeatedly during the sessions, causing her to lose focus and intensity. "She doesn't really know how to give you the attitude that is really needed," J. remarked after the lesson.
Back at the girls' Hollywood mansion, Kari's confidence continued to crumble as the reality of the difficult competition, paired with a case of homesickness, began to set in.
The next day, the girls were greeted by J. Alexander and fashion designer Jared Gold for a challenge that would test their ability to handle outrageous twists within the fashion industry. Wearing Gold's spring collection, the girls had to walk the runway while donning giant live Madagascar hissing cockroaches. Gold seemed impressed by Jade's confident approach (which included kissing her cockroach) to the uncomfortable challenge, but felt that Kari's walk was too slow and her enthusiasm on the runway fell flat.
Later, Jay Manuel met the girls for their weekly photo shoot where each had to depict a modern day fairytale character and maintain their appearance while falling through mid-air. Kari, who portrayed Goldilocks, continued to have difficulty changing her look and expression throughout the shoot.
During the week's elimination ceremony, the judges once again challenged the girls to walk the runway, this time in incredibly high heeled shoes that tested their focus and balance. While many of the girls experienced minor stumbles during their walks, only Kari and Danielle (who had also stumbled during the girls' initial runway lesson) fell repeatedly. As she faced the judges for her critique, Kari's emotions continued to rise as she felt her performance didn't reflect her best effort.
In the end, the judges agreed that although her previous photos had been fierce, Kari's effort on the runway just didn't measure up. "A girl like you that is not necessarily super tall or has a model proportion has to be almost perfect and you nearly fell off this runway," Tyra explained to Kari before eliminating her from the competition.
