Miss Minnesota may have begun her evening with a stumble, but she finished as a victor alongside Miss Louisiana on Thursday following the second round of preliminaries at the 2018 Miss America competition in Atlantic City.

Brianna Drevlow, a 23-year-old from Thief River Falls, Minnesota, captivated the judges at Boardwalk Hall with her piano rendition of George Gershwin’s 1924 masterpiece “Rhapsody in Blue,” earning the talent award and its accompanying $2,000 scholarship.

Having played piano since age three, Drevlow dreams of becoming a dean at Bowling Green State University’s College of Musical Arts, where she currently pursues graduate studies in music composition.

“It’s ultimately about personal expression,” she remarked afterward, noting that creating her own arrangement of the jazz standard was “a practical application of her master’s studies.”

Earlier in the evening, during contestant introductions—whether due to a teleprompter error or another mishap—Drevlow accidentally identified herself as a nurse while standing behind Massachusetts’ telemetry nurse Jillian Zucco.

With quick wit, she recovered: “I’m Miss Minnesota… and I’m human.”

Miss Louisiana, Laryssa Bonacquisti—daughter of Lynette Falls Bonacquisti, Miss New Jersey 1990—claimed victory in the swimsuit competition, securing a $1,000 scholarship for her confident walk in a white two-piece.

“The turning point came when I understood I needed to prioritize my own health,” the 22-year-old shared post-competition, reflecting on her lifestyle adjustments.

“I began viewing food primarily as nourishment,” she continued. “I’ve never felt more energized.”

As the preliminaries conclude Friday ahead of Sunday’s televised finale, Bonacquisti—representing Monroe, Louisiana—will showcase her unusual talent: ventriloquism. While not unprecedented in Miss America history, she stands as the sole ventriloquist competing this year.