The Bama Theatre audience erupted in cheers and applause Sunday night as our very own Miss Tuscaloosa donned the sparkling tiara for the first time as Miss Alabama USA.

Madeline Mitchell, a UA junior majoring in elementary education, said she was both excited and exhausted following the pageant.

“I had a great time,” she said. “I’ve never done a pageant that was three days straight like this. It’s been crazy, getting up at 4 a.m. every day and staying up until one in the morning. But meeting all the girls and having so much fun made it all worth it.”

Mitchell was one of four UA students to make it into the Top 15 semi-finalists vying for the title of Miss Alabama USA. She will go on to compete next spring in the 2011 Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas.

The past year has been a struggle for Mitchell after she was involved in a near-fatal car accident, said Joyce Freeman, a long time family friend who made Mitchell’s evening gown for the pageant.

“We are all feeling beyond fabulous,” Freeman said. “A year ago, we didn’t even think Madeline would walk again, and boy can she walk now. She came back from only making it to the Top 10 last year and she’s worked very hard.”

After a swimsuit and evening gown competition, Mary Margaret McCord, Miss Gadsden and a junior majoring in public relations, joined Mitchell as one of the final five contestants, and was named third runner-up after the interview portion of the pageant.

“This is my first time to compete in Miss Alabama so I feel like I’ve been pretty successful,” McCord said. “I hope to compete next year. I’m also just excited to represent the University of Alabama in the pageant because that’s a big part of this as well.”

Both Mitchell and McCord have a long year ahead of them as they prepare to further their pageant careers.

“I’m just going to start preparing for Miss USA,” Mitchell said. “I’m really excited about it and about working with Dohn Dye, our director. It’s his first year representing our state and he has been wonderful.”

Dye said he believed the pageant went very well, especially considering he was just named director for Alabama in May of this year. He arranged to have the pageant moved to Tuscaloosa this year, as well as gaining an abundance of new sponsors and scholarship prizes for the winners of Miss Alabama USA and Miss Teen Alabama USA.

“Other directors have a year to put these things together,” Dye said. “People have been asking me all weekend how I stay calm. I just tell them it’s not about me. It’s about family and what got you here. It’s about everyone who came together to make this happen.”

Dye will be directing Mitchell on her journey to Las Vegas in hopes of winning another crown and going on to the Miss Universe competition next year.

“Tonight went great, but now my job starts tomorrow,” he said.

UA alumna and winner of the 1967 Miss Alabama USA, Miss USA and Miss Universe Sylvia Hitchcock took the stage once more to assist with crowning the winner. She said she was excited to be back and especially to have a new Miss Alabama from the University.

“It’s been like déjà vu this whole time,” Hitchcock said of being around the pageant again. “Every one of these girls performed at Miss USA level. They are all beautiful, and I’m very proud.”

It will be a long road ahead if Mitchell hopes to follow in Hitchcock’s footsteps, but along with Dye, she has a solid support system in her family and her friends.

“It’s been a long process,” said Ryan Guin, Mitchell’s boyfriend. “It’s awesome [that she won], and we’ve still got a whole year to go.”