It's a great time to be a Tar Heel. First the University of North Carolina wins the Men's NCAA Basketball Championship, now Miss North Carolina has won the Miss USA pageant.

Chelsea Cooley, the reigning Miss North Carolina, was crowned Miss USA in the 54th annual pageant held in Baltimore on Monday night. Cooley will compete May 30 in the Miss Universe competition in Bangkok, Thailand.

Miss California, Brittany Hogan, 20, was first runner-up; Miss Kentucky, Kristen Lynn Johnson, 23, was second runner-up; Miss Illinois, Jill Gulseth, 21, was third runner-up. Miss Florida, Melissa Witek, 24, was fourth runner-up.

Cooley, 21, is studying fashion marketing at the Art Institute of Charlotte, likes to watch baseball and read suspense novels in her spare time. Cooley listed dancing, parasailing and shopping among her hobbies. Her dream job would be working as a buyer for Ralph Lauren.

Judges evaluated contestants in swimsuit, evening gown and interview competitions. Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps, model and actor Molly Sims ("Las Vegas"), boxer Sugar Ray Leonard ("The Contender") and beauty expert Frederic Fekkai headlined the celebrity judging panel. The panel was rounded out by fashion designer Pamela Dennis, Raj Bhakta ("The Apprentice"), model Ksenia Masimova, actor Brody Hutzler ("Days of Our Lives"), John Tutolo, president of Trump Model Management, and Robin Himmler, executive assistant to Trump.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and "Tar Heel" living!

-Tim