'I have been living with Miss USA for the last 18 days'

EUGENE, Ore. - Miss Rhode Island took top prize at the Miss USA Pageant on Sunday in Las Vegas, but you couldn't miss Miss Oregon, Alaina Bergsma.

The tallest contestant in the pageant's history at 6-foot-3, Bergsma towered over the other women.

"I now have a record at Miss USA," Bergsma told KVAL News on Tuesday.
    
A new record - and a new title: a panel of judges voted her Miss Photogenic.

Bergsma flew back to Eugene on Monday afternoon.

"While I was in the airport, I got a Cinnabon because I had not been having sweets," she said, "and I was very excited to have some sugar."

Still glowing from the show, Bergsma looked back at the whirlwind week.

"My roommate was Miss Rhode Island, the winner," she said. "So I have been living with Miss USA for the last 18 days, so I am more excited for her than anything else."

Bergsma said the pageant was a lot of work, with long days spent practicing for the live telecast.

"I am not a natural dancer," she said, "but the runway walk was more my forte.

"My favorite experience was dancing on stage at Pure with LMFAO," she said.

Most of the contestants took time off from school to compete in the event, but not Bergsma: she kept going to her sports marketing classes, still worked out with the volleyball team and even took a final first thing Tuesday morning.

She said that her busy schedule as a student-athlete worked to her advantage in Vegas.

"It felt a lot like a volleyball match for me, " she said. "You know, your heart is racing. You are trying to control it, but you are excited - and you are excited to perform."