'So You Think You Can Dance' Champion Melanie Moore Did Not Expect to Win

James Dimmock/FOX

So You Think You Can Dance crowned Melanie Moore the season eight winner on Thursday night, and less than 24 hours later, Moore’s head is probably still spinning.

The dancer, from Marietta, Georgia, spoke to reporters after her win was announced, and admitted that she did not expect to win.

"I was ready to take second very graciously," Moore said.

'So You Think You Can Dance' Winner Melanie Moore Reacts

"In my head I really thought Sasha was going to win, just because she has improved so much over the competition,” she told Us Weekly. "When [Cat Deeley] called my name I lost it, I just started crying!"

Moore, who has been dancing since she was two years old, won over America on Thursday, beating second place contestant Sasha Mallory; Marko Germar, who came in third; and fourth-place finisher Tadd Guadduang. She won $250,000 and a sponsorship deal.

'So You Think You Can Dance' Season 8 Winner Revealed

Moore, who was a student at Fordham University in New York, says she plans to use the prize money to return to school.

Moore will embark on a tour with her fellow So You Think You Can Dance contestants starting on Sept. 19 in New Orleans and running through Nov. 17, wrapping in Glendale, Ariz.