There she is, Miss, uh, Bracket?

In conjunction with March Madness, ESPN.com's Page 2 staff is running a competition, playfully known as Miss and Mr. Bracket, to name two students -- one male and one female -- as the top college basketball fans in the nation.

One Penn State student has a chance to a win the crown.

Jennifer Owsiany (senior-broadcast journalism), president of Penn State's unofficial basketball fan club the Nittwits, is one of four finalists for the Miss Bracket title.

Owsiany, who was picked for the competition based on an essay she submitted to ESPN.com on March 18, breezed through the first round of online voting, finishing at the top.

While she won't need to don a swimsuit or proclaim she would fight for world peace if she had $1 million to win, she will need to show off one talent -- singing. The final four contestants will be judged by online voters based on videos of themselves singing their school fight songs. Voting resumes on ESPN.com today and will continue through Monday. The winner will be announced before the men's Final Four and will receive an ESPN Sports Heaven phone and six months free activation.

For Owsiany, the past week and a half have been "crazy," as she's fielded interviews with local media outlets, as well as balanced class work.

"It's been nuts," she said. "It's like my little mini 15 minutes of fame here."

As for her rendition of the Penn State fight song, Owsiany doesn't see herself ending up on American Idol anytime soon.

"I can't carry a tune," she said.

Owsiany's friends praised her for her dedication to Penn State's men's basketball, especially since the program has fought through hard times since she's been a student here. In her four years, the Nittany Lions have compiled a 38-78 record. This year, though, they finished with a 15-15 record and advanced to the postseason for the first time since the 2000-01 season.

Because she represents Happy Valley, Owsiany is somewhat of a Cinderella in the contest.

"I'm kind of like equating it to George Mason beating UConn,"

Oswiany's friend and Nittwits co-founder Justin Casavant (senior-geography) said.

The other Miss Bracket contestants come from basketball schools like Duke and Gonzaga.

And while she lacks the glass slippers indicative of Cinderella -- she just has plain old teal green slip-ons -- that doesn't worry her. She believes the underdog role has actually helped her.

"No competition," Owsiany said, waving her hand as if to dismiss the Cameron Crazies as underdogs. "It's easier to be a fan for those schools. They camp out and everything, and it's no big deal for them to do anything. For us, it's a big deal because nobody has ever camped out for a basketball game that I've known."

Sometimes, though, her enthusiasm gets her into tight situations. Before the Jan. 21 game against Ohio State, Owsiany and some friends set up a camp in front of the Bryce Jordan Center only to have police ask them to leave. The head Nittwit has also had run-ins with police for using a bullhorn to publicize games, a friend said.

Even though Owsiany's devotion may sometimes get her in trouble, Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis likes her energy.

"I am thrilled that one of our students is being recognized as one of the top collegiate basketball fans in the country," he said through the Penn State Sports Information Department. "Jennifer and the Nittwits and the students in general have been terrific in supporting our team, and the enthusiasm continues to grow."

Another Miss Bracket contestant, Connecticut's Electra Sattelberger, was shocked to see a Penn State student leading the competition.

"I am actually quite surprised since PSU is not a traditional basketball power," she said in an e-mail message, "but as we all saw from this year's March Madness, anything can happen."

Apparently, Owsiany agrees.

The night Penn State upset then-No. 6 Illinois, Owsiany was at Damon's Grill, 1031 E. College Ave., to watch the game. Before she went to the restaurant, a friend asked why she'd even go out to watch the game, saying Penn State would lose. Oswiany's response of "hell no" is indicative of what friends call her unwavering positive attitude. Even when Penn State is losing, Owsiany keeps cheering.

"I've never seen her leave once without the clocks reading 00:00," friend and fellow Nittwit Bryan Schuster (junior-journalism) said, "and I would never expect her to. She's not that kind of person."

Owsiany said she would like Schuster to be next year's Nittwits president, as she is graduating in December. Schuster isn't sure whether he'll accept the role, saying Owsiany will be hard to replace.

After graduation, Owsiany wants to stay close to the Lions and expressed a desire to work in the Penn State athletic department. At least one person within the organization would be happy to have her.

"Anybody with that kind of energy and passion would be a welcome addition to any organization," said Guido D'Elia, Penn State's communications and branding director.

And while D'Elia is happy for Owsiany and would never question her dedication to the program, he does share some concerns about that voice of hers.

"Good for her. I'm glad she's getting the backing. I'm anxious to hear the song," he said before pausing and chuckling. "Or maybe, I'm not so anxious to hear the song."