I was in my own zone. I knew Miss Utah, so to hear her not being able to speak the words she wanted to was hard, but it didn't necessarily psych me out. I just tried to focus on really listening and understanding my own question before I answered.

Do you, or other pageant contestants, prep for questions or is it more of an 'in the moment' thing?

I think every contestant is different. Some girls have coaches who will prep them for specific questions. I had people who advised me on the best way to answer questions in general, but through the years I learned that when I practice specific interview questions, it only makes it harder. You're trying to remember exactly what you practiced. When I was in Las Vegas, I just tried to stay up on current events by reading news websites and staying up-to-date on Twitter. I had several topics in my head that I was prepared to answer.
http://blog.al.com/tuscaloosa/2013/06/miss_alabama_usa_mary_margaret.html#/4