Meet the 20 women competing for Miss South Dakota 2023

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - This year’s competition for Miss South Dakota will include an expanded age range, a new talent option and a return to a physical fitness competition.

Miss South Dakota 2022 Hunter Widvey will hand her crown down to one of the women listed below, but the competition will look a bit different compared to the previous year.

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. Physical fitness is back - candidates will not compete in swimsuits, but in active wear, in a segment designed to showcase the overall impression of health and fitness commitment by each candidate.

Meet the 2023 candidates

Baylee Dittman

Baylee Dittman, 27, Miss Rapid City, Spearfish, Talent: HERStory™, Community service... — Baylee Dittman, 27, Miss Rapid City, Spearfish, Talent: HERStory™, Community service initiative: Breaking the Barcode: Ending Human Trafficking(ROY | Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Breanna Bossman

Breanna Bossman, 21, Miss McCrory Gardens, Humboldt, Talent: Dance, Community service... — Breanna Bossman, 21, Miss McCrory Gardens, Humboldt, Talent: Dance, Community service initiative: Meet the Need: National Blood Shortage(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Carly Goodhart

Carly Goodhart, 27, Miss Dakota Prairie, Sioux Falls, Talent: HERStory™, Community service... — Carly Goodhart, 27, Miss Dakota Prairie, Sioux Falls, Talent: HERStory™, Community service initiative: Woman Up: Upping the Education and Access to Women’s Health(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Elisa Swartz,

22, Miss Rushmore, Lincoln, NE, Talent: Piano, Community service initiative: Empowering Women in STEM (no photo available)

Emily Deinken

Emily Deinken, 24, Miss Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, Talent: Flute, Community service initiative: ... — Emily Deinken, 24, Miss Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, Talent: Flute, Community service initiative: Changing Classroom Culture: Advocate for Educators(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Javonte Madsen

Javonte Madsen, 19, Miss Hot Springs, Rapid City, Talent: Vocal/Ukulele, Community service... — Javonte Madsen, 19, Miss Hot Springs, Rapid City, Talent: Vocal/Ukulele, Community service initiative: Why Fit in When You Were Born to Stand Out?(Tiger Lily Photography | Tiger Lily Photography)

Jensine Matson

Jensine Matson, Miss Rolling Plains, 19, Ramona, Talent: Monologue, Community service... — Jensine Matson, Miss Rolling Plains, 19, Ramona, Talent: Monologue, Community service initiative: Child Sexual Assault Awareness(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Julia Stanek

Julia Stanek, Miss Clay County Fair, 19, Sioux Falls, Talent: Poetic monologue, Community... — Julia Stanek, Miss Clay County Fair, 19, Sioux Falls, Talent: Poetic monologue, Community service initiative: Eating Disorder Awareness and Prevention(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Katherine Milbrandt

Katherine Milbrandt, Miss SDSU, 21, Hudson, WI, Talent: Dance and gymnastics, Community service... — Katherine Milbrandt, Miss SDSU, 21, Hudson, WI, Talent: Dance and gymnastics, Community service initiative: Stop the Stigma | Start the Conversation(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Laney Titze

Laney Titze, 20, Miss State Fair, Mitchell, Talent: Piano, Community service initiative: Art... — Laney Titze, 20, Miss State Fair, Mitchell, Talent: Piano, Community service initiative: Art for All, Inc.(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Loretta Simon

Loretta Simon, 23, Miss Dakota Plains, Seneca, Talent: Vocal, Community service initiative:... — Loretta Simon, 23, Miss Dakota Plains, Seneca, Talent: Vocal, Community service initiative: Change Your Mind(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Madisen Vetter

Madisen Vetter, 19, Miss Central States Fair, Aberdeen, Talent: Vocal, Community service... — Madisen Vetter, 19, Miss Central States Fair, Aberdeen, Talent: Vocal, Community service initiative: Women in Government(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Maleah Eschenbaum

Maleah Eschenbaum, 23, Miss Brookings, Aberdeen, Talent: American Sign Language Interpretation,... — Maleah Eschenbaum, 23, Miss Brookings, Aberdeen, Talent: American Sign Language Interpretation, Community service initiative: D/deaf: More Than Looks(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Margaret Samp

21, Miss Hub City, Sioux Falls, Talent: Classical Vocal, community service initiative: Beyond Dyslexia Inc. (no photo available)

McKayla Gunderson

McKayla Gunderson, 21, Miss Huron, Pierre, Talent: Vocal and Ukulele, Community Service... — McKayla Gunderson, 21, Miss Huron, Pierre, Talent: Vocal and Ukulele, Community Service Initiative: Employment Awareness for Teenagers and Young Adults.(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Miranda O’Bryan

Miranda O’Bryan, 24, Miss Missouri River, Martin, Talent: Vocal, Community service initiative:... — Miranda O’Bryan, 24, Miss Missouri River, Martin, Talent: Vocal, Community service initiative: Page Turners: Fall in Love with Reading(ROY | Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Molly Crawford

Molly Crawford, 20, Miss Fall River Balloon Festival, Danville, KY, Talent: Poetry, Community... — Molly Crawford, 20, Miss Fall River Balloon Festival, Danville, KY, Talent: Poetry, Community service initiative: Foster Kits: Welcome Home and Mean It(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Olivia Granaas

Olivia Granaas, 21, Miss USD, Vermillion, Talent: Dance, Community service initiative: Upward... — Olivia Granaas, 21, Miss USD, Vermillion, Talent: Dance, Community service initiative: Upward Bound(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Payton Steffensen

Payton Steffensen, 20, Miss Railroad Junction, Sioux Falls, Talent: Self-Choreographed Musical... — Payton Steffensen, 20, Miss Railroad Junction, Sioux Falls, Talent: Self-Choreographed Musical Theatre Dance, Community service initiative: Dream Team(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Rio Snyder

Rio Snyder, 19, Miss Siouxland, Black Hawk, Talent: Lyrical Dance, Community service... — Rio Snyder, 19, Miss Siouxland, Black Hawk, Talent: Lyrical Dance, Community service initiative: Lift Your Health(Miss South Dakota Pageant)

Copyright 2023 KSFY. All rights reserved.