LOS ANGELES (Written by Fiona Henry) - In her second attempt at a national pageant, Shandi Finnessey was finally victorious. Finnessey, 25, of Florissant, Missouri, was crowned Miss USA 2004 by outgoing winner Susie Castillo of Massachusetts. In 2002, Finnessey also represented Missouri at the Miss America Pageant, where she was not named amongst the semi-finalists.

The new Miss USA, a statuesque, blue-eyed, blonde stunner, cemented her victory after her answer to a question about whether education or experience was more important in life. "Living each experience and each moment that comes by, I think that teaches you more knowledge than anything you could possibly read in a book," Finnessey said.

Finnessey, who made history as the first Miss USA titleholder from Missouri, also impressed the judges with both her education and her experience. She is pursuing graduate studies in Counseling at Lindenwood University, and she published a book entitled "The Furrtails," written especially for children with special needs.

In her spare time, Finnessey's hobbies include playing the violin, practicing meditation and yoga, and napping with her cat.

A very well-rounded group of young women accompanied Finnessey in the final five. Miss South Carolina USA Amanda Pennekamp, 22, of Columbia, was 1st Runner-Up. Amanda listed jazzercise, following NASCAR, and collecting nutcrackers as her hobbies.

Miss North Carolina USA Ashley Puleo, 25, of Pinehurst, was 2nd Runner-Up. Ashley plans on completing her education at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry.

Miss Oklahoma USA Lindsay Hill, 19, of Cashion, was 3rd Runner-Up. Lindsay's hobbies include painting, drawing, sculpting, shopping, and listening to music.

Miss Tennessee USA Stephanie Culberson, 24, of Knoxville, was 4th Runner-Up. Stephanie was experiencing her second success at a national pageant, having also been the 2nd Runner-Up at Miss America in 2001.

The five remaining delegates in the final ten were Miss USA Fear Factor champion Tara Darby, 22, of Birmingham, Alabama; Kristen Berset, 22, of St. Petersburg, Florida; Caroline Medley, 26, of Suwanee, Georgia; Kimberly Weible, 22, of Eagle, Idaho; and Jennifer Murphy, 25, of Medford, Oregon.

This year at the pageant, 15 original semi-finalists were named. The other five ladies named to the top 15 were Arizona's Danielle Demski; New Hampshire's Vanessa Bissanti, a finalist in the Miss USA Fear Factor competition; New Mexico's Jenna Hardin; Texas' Stephanie Guerrero; and Washington's Tara McCormick.

Two other outstanding young women won special awards at the pageant. Miss Arkansas Jennifer Sherrill became Miss Photogenic, and Michelle Fongemie of Vermont was voted Miss Congeniality.

The star-studded judges' panel in charge of selecting Shandi Finnessey as the winner included Jeff Gordon, a champion NASCAR driver; Rocco DiSpirito, a famous New York City chef who stars on the NBC reality show "The Restaurant" and Brandi Sherwood, the only woman to hold both the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA titles who now appears as a Barker's Beauty on the game show "The Price Is Right."

The Miss USA 2004 Pageant, hosted by Billy Bush and Nancy O'Dell, was held at Los Angeles' famed Kodak Theater.