By AP/KWMU
Quito, Ecuador – Miss USA Shandi Finnessey, of Florissant, was named first runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant Tuesday night in Ecuador.
An Australian named Jennifer Hawkins won.
Finnessey is a grad student at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. She already holds bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology and counseling from Lindenwood University.
Event organizers say 7,500 spectators were at the event.
Hawkins is a 20-year-old from Australia. She and Finnessey hugged before the winner was announced.
If Hawkins is for some reason disqualified, Finnessey, 25, would become Miss Universe.