Three young women from the Heartland Region will be among 16 across the state to compete for the title of Miss South Dakota’s Teen 2023, June 1-2 in Brookings.

The theme of this year’s program is Ignite the Night with delegates judged on interviews, talent, physical fitness, and red carpet.

The new titleholder will be crowned Miss South Dakota’s Teen in the first year of a name change from Miss South Dakota’s Outstanding Teen.

Miss South Dakota Teen contestants from this area include:
• Calliana Fields, 17, Miss Dakota Plains’ Teen, De Smet, Talent: Vocal, Community Service Initiative: Sobriety In The United States
• Jerica Ratigan, 15, Miss Huron’s Teen, Frankfort, Talent: Dance, Community Service Initiative: Seatbelt Safety

In the Miss South Dakota program, an expanded age range, a new talent option, and a return to physical fitness competition will all be part of the competition in early June in Brookings. The age limit, previously 18 to 25, has been extended to 19 to 28.

And a new talent category, “HERStory,” is a 90-second TED-talk style presentation for candidates who do not wish to perform a more traditional talent.  

Twenty young women from across the state will compete June 1-3 for nearly $45,000 in cash and scholarships and the role of Miss South Dakota. The new Miss South Dakota will take home at least $8,000 in scholarships and awards and will represent South Dakota at the Miss America Competition.

The competition will be held at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center on the South Dakota State University campus in Brookings, in conjunction with the Miss South Dakota Teen  competition. Showtime will be 6 p.m. Thursday, June 1, and 6 p.m. Friday, June 2, with the new Miss South Dakota’s Teen crowned at the conclusion of Friday’s performance. Tickets are available at https://www.misssd.org beginning May 25.

Throughout its 76-year history, the Miss South Dakota program has impacted 18,000 young women. Last year, nearly $59,000 in scholarships were awarded during the three-day event. The Miss South Dakota Scholarship Program’s mission is to uphold the four points of the crown: Service, Scholarship, Success, and Style.

Participation in this program provides young women with the opportunity to promote a platform of community service and share their talents, intelligence, and positive values while serving as role models in their communities. The program is run entirely by volunteers and is supported by private donations which help the delegates in their pursuit of academic excellence, service, and lifelong success.

The new Miss South Dakota’s Outstanding Teen will take home at least $2,000 in scholarships, with a total of more than $12,000 in scholarship funds available to candidates.

The new titleholder will compete at the 2024 Miss America’s Teen Competition in January 2024. The Teen Pageant is open to young women ages 13-18.