St. Thomas senior Jessica Scheu was awarded first runner-up out of 39 competitors in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant Sunday at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center.

Scheu said she had “mixed emotions” about her finish.

“Not everyone can be first runner-up, but at the same time the goal is to be the next Miss Minnesota,” Scheu said. “So it is disappointing to end up a little short, but it’s still a high position.”

Scheu said she has been preparing for this pageant for a year, doing everything from working out with a personal trainer to doing mock interviews and completing community service work. She said on the day of the pageant, she woke up at 5 a.m. to get her hair and makeup done.

This year was tougher than usual, Scheu said, because so many of the competitors have competed in pageants like this before.

“The winner, Haley (O’Brien), won Miss Teen Minnesota USA a few years ago, and the girl who was fourth runner-up was also a former Miss Teen winner, so … it was a higher, more elite pageant than most years,” Scheu said.

Two St. Thomas alumni, Brittany Thelemann and Dottie Cannon, were crowned Miss Minnesota USA in 2011 and 2006, respectively.

Scheu also has experience on the pageant stage. She won Miss Teen Minnesota national when she was 16 and Miss Teen Minnesota USA when she was 19. Despite the competition, Scheu said she bonded with the other girls in the pageant.

“When you all are competing for the same thing and it is stressful and long hours, you bond more than you usually would,” Scheu said. “Even though it was exhausting and a lot of work, it was still a good time.”

Christina Theodoroff contributed to this report.

Baihly Warfield can be reached at warf3860@stthomas.edu.