COLUMBIA, S.C. — This time, the question was a little easier for Miss Teen South Carolina.
After being stumped by a Miss Teen USA pageant question on live television Friday night, Lauren Caitlin Upton's confused, mangled response has been drawing a lot of attention.
Upton was taking her flubbed answer -- and the attention -- in stride.
"Everything did come at me at once. I was overwhelmed and I made a mistake. Everybody makes a mistake. I'm human," she said Tuesday. "I seriously think I only heard about one or two words of the actual question."
Upton's former principal Creig Tyler remembered her as a well-rounded student.
"She took college-prep and honors courses and performed well," Tyler told The (Columbia) State newspaper.
Miss Teen Colorado Hilary Carol Cruz won the crown. Upton was third runner-up.
The 18-year-old got a chance to redeem herself Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show when she was again asked why one-fifth of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a map.
"I would love to re-answer that question," Upton said. "Well personally, my friends and I, we know exactly where the United States is on our map. I don't know anyone else who doesn't. And if the statistics are correct, I believe there should be more emphasis on geography."
That was much better than her previous response, which included "U.S. Americans" and mentions of South Africa and "the Iraq."
A YouTube video of Upton has drawn a couple million hits and thousands of comments, many of them with harsh remarks for the Lexington High School graduate who plans to attend Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.
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