A former southwest Ohio resident and current TV reporter in Kentucky is the new Miss USA.

Miss Kentucky, Ellen Smith, who goes by Elle, won the crown Monday night during the 70th Miss USA pageant. The event took place at Paradise Cove Theater of River Spirit Casino Resort in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

With the win, Smith has the chance to compete for Miss Universe next month in Eilat, Israel.

Smith, 23, competed against 50 other women vying for the title of Miss USA. The field included first runner-up Caitlyn Vogel of North Dakota and Ashley Carino of Florida. Miss Ohio, Nicole Wess, a West Chester native and University of Cincinnati student, was also in the running.

Smith follows Miss USA 2020 Asya Branch from Mississippi.

Born in Springfield, Ohio, Smith graduated from Shawnee High School in 2016. She went on to attend the University of Kentucky, graduating last year with a degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in political science. She works as a reporter for WHAS-TV in Louisville, Ky.

“To this day I don't consider myself a pageant girl. I’m Miss Kentucky USA and I'm like, ‘What in the world is this pageantry lifestyle?’ It's so weird for me for people to come up and be like ‘oh, it's Miss Kentucky USA,’ and they start getting excited—like no, it's just me,” she told KRNL, a lifestyle and fashion publication by University of Kentucky’s students.

Her mother, Lydia, told the News-Sun in Springfield that prior to this year, her daughter had never competed in a pageant. She was inspired to do so after seeing another Shawnee student and Springfield resident, Brittany Reid, win the Miss Ohio Teen USA pageant a few years ago.

Smith made it her New Year’s resolution to train for and compete in the Miss Kentucky pageant, per the News-Sun report.

“The amount of support she has received is just overwhelming,” her mother said. “And the pageant is really about empowering women.”

Smith is the second woman from Kentucky to be crowned Miss USA. Tara Conner, of Russell Springs, won back in 2006.