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Ask the newly crowned Miss Maryland USA about her favorite childhood memory, and she won't have to stop to think about the answer.

"When I went to Baskin-Robbins and tried Superman ice cream," said Simone Feldman, who was crowned Nov. 1 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. The frozen treat was in fact just vanilla ice cream with red, yellow and blue dye, she said, "but when I first ate it I thought it was going to give me Superman powers."

Before competing in the pageant, the North Potomac native hadn't necessarily thought about how to answer that question. Nor had she thought about what makes her blush, or the most exciting thing she's ever done, but those were among the questions she was prompted to answer as she prepared for an interview with the judges.

Feldman may not be superhuman, but she battled tough competition for the crown. And in recent years, the competition is only getting stiffer, according to Ashley Stewart, a pageant coordinator for Miss Maryland USA and Miss Maryland Teen USA pageants, which are headquartered in Potomac.

"It's definitely competitive and the caliber of young ladies we are seeing is just amazing," Stewart said. "Each year it seems like the group of girls get better and better."

Also crowned Nov. 1 was Potomac resident Kamie Crawford, 17. She received the title of Miss Maryland Teen USA. Both will go on to compete on the national stage for the title of Miss USA and Miss Teen USA next year.

Candidates are increasingly coming to the stage with more and more commitments — to their schools, families, communities and jobs, Stewart said.

Feldman, 23, a recent University of Maryland graduate, works at a law office and will soon apply to law schools. She signed up for the competition last year after learning about it from a former titleholder. She placed as a semi-finalist, and decided to give it another go this year only about six weeks before the competition — relatively quick turnaround time. "Just about every day I was doing something to get ready for the pageant," she said.

For Crawford, a Winston Churchill High School student and captain of the school's varsity cheerleading team, her interest was piqued when she started receiving fliers in the mail about pageants. She decided to compete when a friend from the cheerleading squad participated last year, and came back with rave reviews.

The preparation process often includes using coaches to practice interview skills and personal trainers to help tone up muscles. Crawford spent about seven months gearing up for the pageant. Then, there's learning the details — like the "butt glue" contestants use to hold their bathing suits in place.

But it's the overall package that matters most, according to pageant veterans.

"Being able to impress people in two or three minutes is what makes or breaks a pageant contestant," said Tess Scanlon, Feldman's pageant coach.

Contestants are judged based on their interviews and an evening gown and swimsuit competition, but judges are also looking for poise and confidence, Stewart said. "Really it's just kind of their attitude on stage," Stewart said. "It's not about specific measurements or a specific walk or talk. There's really no right answer."

All contestants pay a $995 entrance fee, though gowns, shoes, swimsuits, hair and make-up can up the price tag. Many search for sponsors to help offset the cost. Outside of the entrance fee, Crawford spent about $1,200. But winners walk a way with hefty prize packages that includes cash scholarships, jewelry, a designer gown and shoes, and a wealth of pageant preparation services.

The pageant world has gained recent notoriety as the subject of several reality shows, including TLC's "Toddlers and Tiaras" and "King of the Crown," which details the life of a pageant coach. Then there's the controversy surrounding the former Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, who decried gay marriage onstage. She was later stripped of her title for breach of contract.

"Judges are much more willing to ask deeper, more personal or more political questions," Scanlon said. "You have to be prepared for anything."

Crawford said if given 15 minutes in front of her peers, she would speak about self-confidence.

When asked to describe herself in three words, she settled on "trustworthy," "empowered," and "optimistic." "It took me awhile to try to break down what it is I really thought about myself," she said.

Feldman agreed that part of the pageant process for her involved finding out more about herself.

"On the [reality] shows they make it seem like everyone's a cookie cutter," Feldman said. "For me I was able to figure out who I wanted to be — there wasn't a cookie cutter I had to squeeze myself into. At the end of the day, you are the one who wins the title — the judges fall in love with you."