Mikayla Holmgren made history this weekend when she became the first woman with Down Syndrome to compete in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant, and as far as pageant officials know, the first in the country.
The 22-year-old Bethel University student looked every part a seasoned pageant competitor as she strutted across the stage, hands on hips, in a coral one-piece bathing suit, then a sequined royal blue gown.
The crowd erupted after Holmgren made her first introduction: "Mikayla Holmgren, 22, Marine on St. Croix!"

