Miss South Dakota Pageant June 14-16

Posted

HOT SPRINGS – Sixteen young women from across the state will compete in Hot Springs June 14-16 for thousands of dollars in scholarships and the role of Miss South Dakota. The new Miss South Dakota will take home at least $9,000 in scholarship money and will represent South Dakota at the Miss America Pageant.

After four days of rehearsals and appearances, preliminary competitions will be June 14 and 15, and finals will be held June 16. The Miss South Dakota’s Outstanding Teen competition will be held June 14 and 15 in conjunction with the Miss South Dakota Pageant.

The pageant theme this year is “The Power in Me.” The pageant celebrates its 72nd and final year in Hot Springs, as one of the two longest-running state pageants in a single location nationwide. The pageant will be in a new home next year, and the host city will be announced at the pageant finals Saturday night.

The pageant will feature Miranda Mack of Redfield, Miss South Dakota 2017. Mack represented South Dakota at the Miss America pageant last September in Atlantic City. She spent the year advocating for her personal platform of “Music for Life” – promoting the importance of music education in schools.

The public has a chance to choose one of the Top 8 finalists by voting in the People’s Choice Contest. Votes cost $1 each, and proceeds will provide scholarships through the Miss SD Pageant and the SD Scholarship Foundation. Vote at: https://www.misssd.org/peoples-choice.

The contestants will be judged on a private interview with the judges (25 percent), talent (35 percent), evening gown (20 percent), on-stage question (5 percent) and swimsuit (15 percent).

The young women competing are (name, age, title, hometown, talent and platform):

• Alexandra Smiley, 24, Miss Rushmore, Kadoka, Talent: Gymnastics, Platform: Buckle Up

• Amber Hulse, 19, Miss Christmas in the HiIls, Hot Springs, Talent: Piano/Vocal, Platform: Operation Overload: A College Debriefing

• Annie Woodmansey, 21, Miss Once Upon a Festival, Pierre, Talent: Operatic Vocal, Platform: Fine Arts for All Hearts

• Cameron Schroder, 20, Miss Wheel Jam, Huron, Talent: Musical Theatre, Platform: Green Print: Simplifying the term “Going Green”

• Carly Goodhart, 22, Miss Rolling Plains, Sisseton, Talent: Dramatic Monologue, Platform: It Took Three: A Promotion of Heart Health

• Carrie Wintle, 24, Miss State Fair, Iroquois, Talent: Classical Rock Piano, Platform: Money $heep

• Chesney Garnos, 22, Miss Mitchell, Presho, Talent: Self Written Monologue, Platform: Break the Chains

• Evy Johnson, 23, Miss Central States Fair, Firesteel, Talent: Operatic Vocal, Platform: Hidden Treasure: Valuing the Elderly

• Heather Egbert, 21, Miss USD, Vermillion, Talent:  Baton Twirling, Platform:  Four Pads of the Paw:  A Call to Responsible Pet Adoption

• Jackie Bossman, 23, Miss Sioux Falls, Humboldt, Talent: Lyrical Dance; Platform: The Democracy Project

• Kaitlin O’Neill, 21, Miss Siouxland, Aberdeen, Talent: Irish Dance, Platform: The More You Know: ADHD

• Miranda O’Bryan, 20, Miss Missouri Valley, Martin, Talent: Gospel Vocal, Platform: A Family for Everyone

• Rachel Black, 19, Miss Clay County Fair, Rutland, Talent: Hula Hoop, Platform: Abolishing the Darkness: Teen Depression

• Rachel Evangelisto, 21, Miss Rapid City, Rapid City, Talent: Piano, Platform: American Legion Auxiliary: Promoting YOUth in Government

• Samantha Gervais, 21, Miss Brookings, Currie, MN, Talent:  Fingerstyle Guitar, Platform: Healthy Habits Help

• Sarah Scott, 22, Miss SDSU, Forest Lake, MN, Talent: Dance, Platform: Food for Thought

Showtime is 6 p.m. June 14, 15, and 16 at the Mueller Center in Hot Springs. A pageant parade will take place through downtown Hot Springs at 10 a.m. June 16.

Tickets are available at https://www.misssd.org/buy-tickets.

The new Miss South Dakota will compete at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in September 2018. The Miss America Pageant finals will air on ABC on Sunday, September 9.

Miss S.D. Outstanding Teen contest slated

HOT SPRINGS – Eight young women from around the state will compete for the title of Miss South Dakota’s Outstanding Teen 2018 in Hot Springs on Thursday and Friday, June 14 and 15, at 6 p.m. at the Mueller Center. The teen pageant will be held in conjunction with the Miss South Dakota Pageant. Tickets are available at https://www.misssd.org/buy-tickets.

The new titleholder will compete at the 2018 Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant which will be held in Orlando, Florida July 24-28, 2018. The teen pageant is open to young women ages 13-17.

The young women competing are (name, age, title, hometown, talent, and platform):

• AbriOnna Wetzel, 17, Miss Once Upon a Festival’s Outstanding Teen, Rapid City, Talent: Musical Theatre, Platform: Literacy: Opening Worlds With Words

• Elizabeth Hofer, 17, Miss Rushmore’s Outstanding Teen, Bruce, Talent: Country Vocal/Yodel, Platform: Think Head First

• Jaimye Lynn Wininger, 16, Miss Jack’s Outstanding Teen, Brookings, Talent: Character Jazz, Platform: The Blue Heart Pledge-Responsible Teen Driving

• Javonte Madsen, 14, Miss Missouri Valley’s Outstanding Teen, Rapid City, Talent: Upright Bass & Vocal, Platform: Financing your Future #livinglife

• Jessica Benson, 17, Miss Hot Springs’ Outstanding Teen, Rapid City, Talent: Show Vocal, Platform: Take the Challenge: Lead by Example

• McKenzie Norton,17, Miss Mitchell’s Outstanding Teen, Mitchell, Talent: Inspirational Monologue, Platform: YOU MATTER Project

• Payton Steffensen, 15, Miss Christmas in the Hills’ Outstanding Teen, Yankton, Talent: Musical Theatre Dance, Platform: TWC: Together We Can

• Rio Snyder, 14, Miss Siouxland’s Outstanding Teen, Black Hawk, Talent: Classical Pointe Ballet, Platform: L.I.P.P.: The Look Inside People Project

The contestants will be judged on talent, private interview, evening wear, lifestyle and fitness in sportswear, scholastic achievement and on-stage question.