NORFOLK, Neb. -- After placing itself in the final matchup, the city of Norfolk was awarded as the runner-up in the strongest town competition.

The competition known as the 9th Annual Strongest Towns Contest was a March Madness-style tournament between cities in North America.

The contest is meant to shine a spotlight on a city's progress toward safety, financial resiliency, housing, and transportation.

Norfolk was one of 16 nominees in the contest and made its way through five rounds of competition for the "Strongest Town" title, before getting beat out in the final round to Maumee, Ohio.

“We want to congratulate Maumee on a well-earned victory," Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning said in a press release. "While falling just short of claiming the title, the exposure and awareness that the Strongest Town contest afforded our community has been tremendous. From the application process to rallying to advance through each round of competition, we’ve enjoyed promoting not only our community but the principles by which Strong Towns helps makes communities better."

In addition to being the runner-up winner, Norfolk was also given the honorary award for "Most Progress Toward a Robust and Responsive Housing Supply."