I entered a writing contest. I knew it would be wonderful if i won. I really wanted to win and thought I might have a good chance. I was excited about it. 
I entered a writing contest. I thought I might have a chance to be a finalist. I was excited. 
user
Oh boy, how did it go?
assistant
I was a finalist. It was so exciting. Even though I didn't win, it had a lot of advantages. 
user
Congrats, that's a real accomplishment!
assistant