Miss Minnesota Madeline Van Ert, of Rochester, may be the next Miss America, but you will have to wait until Sunday night's nationally televised finale on ABC to find out.
"Being Miss America would be incredible," Van Ert said. "I still can't believe it's really happening, that it is even a possibility
"There's so many people here. Wow!" Van Ert said during a community sendoff held recently at Christ United Methodist Church. She became emotional when Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede surprised her and proclaimed Aug. 21 as Madeline Van Ert Day.
Van Ert arrived in Atlantic City on Aug. 28 and has been immersed in pageantry hoopla — including preliminaries this week in swimsuit, evening gown, talent and on-stage questions — ever since. Her roommate is Miss South Carolina.
"The friends are the most important thing you get out of it," said Van Ert, noting she will have friends in all states after the pageant.
"It's still a little surreal," she said, admitting to a few nerves. "I just want to leave feeling good about it."
Her father, Rick Van Ert, is in Atlantic City and predicted that it would be a "gut-wrenching five or six days."
"It's exciting. I'm very proud of Madeline," he said while choking up. "Some of my proudest moments are when people compliment me on how genuine she is through and through. This is just Madeline. This is who she is."
That sentiment is echoed repeatedly when talking about Van Ert, who is a Mayo High School graduate and junior at the University of Minnesota, where she is studying political science and Latin.
"It is fun to see someone beautiful inside and out. A rare occurrence," said Sen. Carla Nelson, for whom Van Ert was an intern. "She is remarkable, the epitome of maturity. She is just delightful."