"Did you hear him?" she asked a small crowd gathered in her parents' hotel room in Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood Saturday. "He was so loud and screamed for me until he was hoarse!"
About 40 of the Rashes’ closest friends and family were in the hotel room, celebrating after the pageant.
"No matter what," said Nicole's mom Cindy, "win, lose or draw we'll be celebrating tonight."
Nicole's journey was an amazing one that started when she took the title of Miss Ball State, leading her to the Miss Indiana title. In November, she and the other contestants traveled to Los Angeles for nine days of taping for the TLC reality show. The pageant's organizers joined forces with TLC – a channel known for its many home and beauty makeovers – to transform the Miss America pageant into something more trendy, and an opportunity to find America's "it girl."
Rash wowed the show's advisors, who were all in the audience during Saturday's pageant, also aired on TLC.
"They really loved her," said Cindy. "And she didn't peep a word about winning the whole time she's been home. Can you believe that?"
Nicole concurred. "I didn't tell anyone. Can you believe it? I kept a secret! I didn't want the millions of dollars in fines for leaking it out!" she said, while the other top contenders, Miss Washington and Miss New Mexico, both had a hard time keeping the secret of the show to their families and friends.
In addition to the success on the reality series which wrapped up its final episode Friday night, Nicole also won $25,000 for being named first runner up to Miss America.
She — along with the other contestants — was happy to wrap up a busy week of training and watching their food intake. What was her plan following the completion of the pageant?
"I'm going to eat now," she said on the way back to her hotel suite. Inside, she said it was hard not to eat much of her favorite food — cotton candy.
"Now I can eat cotton candy without the other girls staring at me! We were at a buffet that had cotton candy on it and I wanted it so bad, but the other girls were looking at me like, 'Are you really going to eat that?'" she said.
As Nicole stood on top of a bed in the center of the hotel room, her adoring fans begged for her to provide them with something she's been perfecting... impersonations.
"I'm kind of disappointed I didn't get to meet Arnold while he was here," she said, referring to the fact that the "Rambo" movie premiere was Thursday night at Planet Hollywood, where Sylvester Stallone and other actors from the movie, walked the red carpet while preliminary competition was going on nearby. California's governor, Arnold Schw-arzenegger and fellow movie actor and friend of Stallone's, attended the premiere as well.
Rash gave in to chants of "do it, do it, do it" and captivated her hotel room audience with a montage of impersonations, including Cher, Toy Story and Arnold, and more. Her Miss Indiana Princess and niece, Olivia Emmons, shouted, "You should have done that for your talent!"
Laughing and hugging, Nicole thanked Olivia — and her audience for their support.
While some fans were faced with the bittersweet feeling of loss, others reminded Nicole to remember the journey she's been on and to soak in every moment spent with her friends and family.
"No matter what," Cindy said, "we're proud of her. She did amazing. We couldn't ask for more."
Frank Ricketts, Miss Indiana co-director, said, "Cherish every moment of tonight. This is one of the best moments of your life."
He told Nicole she was a pageant director's dream. "You were consistent every night. And this is your night. You've worked for it. You've done it. This is just the beginning of great things for you."
Jim and Joy Robbins helped Nicole through the interview process from state to the national pageant. Jim said Nicole was a sponge. "You were great. You had your own opinions and your own ideas and did your own thing, but you were just like a sponge."
Added Joy, "There's more than corn in Indiana folks, there's Nicole Rash!"
A friend of Nicole's, Erica Borggren, said while she was proud of Nicole, she was happy the pageant was over. "I'm kind of glad you didn't win — not in a bad way — so we can hang out again!"
Shelly Norman of LaPaz, a friend of Nicole's mom, said she knows the people of Plymouth will be proud, but to remember, "It all started in LaPaz!" as Nicole was an elementary student when the family moved to Plymouth.
"This has been a wonderful experience," Nicole said. While she didn't take the top prize, she seems more than ready to get back to reality. "I have all the benefits from this pageant," she said, in regard to the exposure, cash prizes and success, "but don't have the responsibility."
Miss Michigan, as part being ambassador to the Children's Miracle Network, has been signed to a year's worth of interviews and representation while she must put off college to do so..
Nicole plans to move to California to continue her education in fashion merchandise and design.