A new Miss South Dakota will be crowned tonight at South Dakota State University in Brookings. This is the 75th Anniversary Miss South Dakota Pageant and the third in Brookings after the first 72 were all in Hot Springs.
There are 20 contestants, one of the largest fields in years, vying to succeed Kaitlin O’Neill and represent South Dakota at the Miss America Pageant in December.
The second and final preliminary round was yesterday afternoon and Miss Huron Hunter Widvey was the Talent winner with Miss State Fair Miranda O’Bryan was the Social Impact Pitch winner.
The preliminary talent winners receive a $1,000 scholarship. Widvey, who has been accepted into medical school at Des Moines University, performed the vocal solo “Feelin’ Good.”
The Social Impact winners get $500. O’Bryan’s initiative is “Page Turners: Fall in Love with Reading.” A graduate of South Dakota State University, she is reporter/anchor for KOTA News in Rapid City.
Miss Sioux Falls Margaret Samp took talent honors Thursday while the Social Impact Pitch winner was Miss Rapid City Carly Goodhart.
Representing pageants from southwest South Dakota are Miss Hot Springs Kendall Cummings, Miss Fall River Balloon Festival Lysa Thompason, Miss Rapid City Carly Goodhart, and Miss Central States Fair Megan Clark.
There is a livestream for tomorrow night’s Miss South Dakota Pageant finals. Cost is $20 with more information at www.misssd.org/miss-south-dakota-competition.