Miss North Dakota Cara Mund makes history, crowned Miss America

For the first time in the competition’s 91-year history, Miss North Dakota, Cara Mund was crowned Miss America 2018 on Sunday night in Atlantic City.

The 23-year-old Ivy League graduate and national dance champion from Bismarck, North Dakota beat 50 other contestants to the crown.

Cara was judged according to talent, evening wear, lifestyle, fitness and their answer to an on-stage question.

She also made history earlier in the competition when she became the first North Dakota contestant to be named a top 5 finalist. Only three previous Miss North Dakota competitors had reached the top 10. 

Cara Mund will receive a six-figure salary, expenses for the year and a $50,000 scholarship.

Before the competition, Mund told The Associated Press her goal is to become the first female governor of North Dakota. 

It's important to have a woman's perspective, she said.

In health care and on reproductive rights, it's predominantly men making those decisions.

This year's first runner-up was Miss Missouri Jennifer Davis,  a St. Louis University graduate, followed by second runner-up Miss New Jersey Kaitlyn Schoeffel; third runner-up Miss District of Columbia Briana Kinsey; and fourth runner-up Miss Texas Margana Wood.