Miss Minnesota 2008 Angela McDermott, of Austin, has been invited to perform the national anthem at the opening session of the Republican National Convention Monday at approximately 2:30 p.m. from the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul. A former Miss Austin and Miss Twin Cities, McDermott was named Miss Minnesota in June. She will compete in the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas in January. Her pageant platform is “Higher Education: Journey to Your Dream.”