HOT SPRINGS – Sixteen young women from across the state will compete in Brookings May 30-June 1 for thousands of dollars in scholarships and the role of Miss South Dakota.
The new Miss South Dakota will take home at least $9,500 in scholarship money and will represent South Dakota at the Miss America Competition.
After four days of rehearsals and appearances, preliminary competitions will be May 30 and 31, and finals will be held June 1. The Miss South Dakota’s Outstanding Teen competition will be held May 30 and 31 in conjunction with the Miss South Dakota competition.
The theme this year is “Believe!” The competition celebrates its 73rd anniversary and marks its first year in its new host city of Brookings.
The pageant will feature Carrie Wintle of Iroquois, Miss South Dakota 2018. Wintle represented South Dakota at the Miss America Competition last September in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She spent the year advocating for her social impact initiative, “Money $heep” – focused on helping youth build a financial foundation from which they can tackle the financial world.
The public has a chance to vote for “Fan Favorite.” The contestant with the most votes will receive a $500 cash prize. Votes cost $1 each and proceeds will provide scholarships through the Miss SD Scholarship Foundation. Vote at: https://www.misssd.org.
The contestants will be judged on a private interview with the judges (20%), talent (50%), evening wear/social impact (15%) and on-stage interview (15%).
The young women competing are (name, age, title, hometown, talent and social impact initiative):
• Amber Hulse, 20, Miss State Fair, Hot Springs; talent: piano; social impact initiative: Operation Overload
• Anna Bonnstetter, 21, Miss USD, Slayton, Minnesota; talent: flute; social impact initiative: Adopt Don’t Shop
• Annie Woodmansey, 22, Miss Rolling Plains, Pierre; talent: flute; social impact initiative: Fine Arts for All Hearts
• Baylee Dittman, 23, Miss Clay County, Spearfish; talent: musical theatre; social impact initiative: Breaking the Barcode: Ending Human Trafficking
• Cameron Schroder, 21, Miss Railroad Junction, Huron; talent: musical theatre; social impact initiative: That’s Garbage
• Carly Goodhart, 23, Miss Mitchell, Sisseton; talent: vocal; social impact initiative: It Took Three: A Promotion of Heart Health
• Courtney Remick, 21, Miss Brookings, Prior Lake, Minnesota; talent: viola; social impact initiative: Feeling Safe During Emergencies
• Elizabeth Hofer, 18, Miss Sioux Falls, Bruce; talent: vocal; social impact initiative: Think Head First
• Evy Johnson, 24, Miss Siouxland, Firesteel; talent: operatic vocal; social impact initiative: Hidden Treasure: Valuing Senior Citizens
• Hunter Widvey, 20, Miss Wheel Jam, Rapid City; talent: Broadway vocal; social impact initiative: More than Four: Pediatric Cancer Awareness
• Jackie Bossman, 24, Miss Rapid City, Humboldt; talent: jazz dance; social impact initiative: The Democracy Project
• Kaitlin O’Neill, 22, Miss Hot Springs, Groton; talent: Irish dance; social impact initiative: Eat Right, Re-energize Your Life
• Miranda O’Bryan, 21, Miss SDSU, Martin; talent: musical theatre; social impact initiative: A Family for Everyone
• Ria Gualano, 18, Miss Central States Fair, Rapid City; talent: original vocal; social impact initiative: Bridging Generations: Holding the Hands that Held Us
• Sarah Scott, 23, Miss Christmas in the Hills, Forest Lake, Minnesota; talent: contemporary dance; social impact initiative: A Swimmer’s Chance
• Sylvie Larson, 22, Miss Missouri Valley, Harrisburg; talent: clarinet; social impact initiative: Life for the Challenge: Applying a Growth Mindset
Showtime is 7 p.m. May 30-June 1 at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings. A fundraising golf tournament will be held on Friday, May 31, at Edgebrook Golf Course in Brookings.
Tickets are available at misssd.tix.com.
More information about candidates, the competition, and all events is available at misssd.org.
