Miss University of Southern Mississippi Hannah Roberts, a double preliminary winner in the Miss Mississippi Pageant, was crowned the 2015 queen Saturday night at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

“I am so blown out of the water and so excited,” Roberts said, shortly after being crowned.

“You really don’t need to go into anything expecting to win, and it is such a surprise to me and a humbling experience,” she said.

Roberts was the first runner-up to Chelsea Rick in the 2013 Miss Mississippi Pageant and took a year off in between before competing again this year.

“I think I really did need that year off. It was really important for me to grow. It was also important for me to realize my ultimate goal, which is going to medical school. During that year, I had lots of experiences that everyone needs to have, and I think that really lit the fire under me to come back and encouraged me to reach for this goal,” Roberts said.

For the talent phase of the competition, Roberts performed Zigeunerweisne Op. 20 on the violin. Gretchen Carlson, who was crowned Miss America in 1989 also performed the same piece of music written by Pablo Sarasate.

Along with the Miss Mississippi title and crown, Roberts receives a $10,000 cash scholarship.

This year, because of a tie, instead of a top 10 being named, 11 of the contestants competed in the final rounds of competition on a point system based on interviews with the judges, talent, swimwear, eveningwear and on-stage questions.

After the 11 were named, they competed in each category — except on-stage question — again. Only the top five were asked questions on stage.

Miss University France Beard of Madison was first runner up and was awarded a $7,500 scholarship; Miss Riverland Laura Lee Lewis of Brookhaven was second and was awarded a $5,000 scholarship; Miss Hattiesburg Ivey Swan of Hattiesburg was third and was awarded a $3,000 scholarship; and Miss Delta Blues Meredith Thomas of Kosciusko was fourth and was awarded a $2,500 Scholarship.

Rounding out the top 11 were Miss Tombigbee Alivia Paden Roberts of Shannon, Miss Natchez Trace Carol Coker of Blue Springs, Miss Historic South Hannah Whitlock of Pontotoc, Miss Pearl River Valley Morgan Burnett of Brandon, Miss Leaf River Valley Michaela Moore of Biloxi and Miss Belle of the Bayou Molly May of Houston.

Four Miss Mississippi winners have won the Miss America title — Mary Ann Mobley of Brandon in 1959, Lynda Lee Mead of Natchez in 1960, Cheryl Prewitt of Ackerman in 1980 and Susan Akin of Meridian in 1986.