This is exciting! Miss South Dakota USA & Teen USA 2017 will be crowned this weekend, and out of 19 contestants in the Miss division there are no less than FOUR former Teens returning - and a past Miss SD, who was 1RU the past two years! With many other gorgeous contestants in the mix as well the Miss pageant is going to be a prize fight for the crown. The show will be webcast with prelims at 8pm CST on Saturday & finals at 4pm CST on Sunday. Miss contestants are here and Teen contestants here. 2016 was a huge year for South Dakota with placements at both Miss USA & Teen USA for the first time ever (and their first Miss placement since the 1970s!) and it looks like 2017 will be continuing on in the same vein!
Having four former Teens back is even more unusual given this very rarely happens in any state (rarely more than once per year on average) much less out of a relatively small group of contestants. Also, the two most recent SD titleholders are also former Teens - Lexy Schenk (Miss SD Teen USA 2011/Miss SD USA 2015) and Madison McKeown (Miss SD Teen USA 2014/Miss SD USA 2016) - which means in the past three years every Teen titleholder from 2009 to 2015 will have competed (history of SD Teen titleholders competing for Miss can be found here). The four for this year are Alyssa Hustrulid (2010, 2RU last year), and first-time Miss contestants Kalani Jorgensen (2012), Alexis Rupp (2013) and Marley Hanson (2015). Marley was fourth runner-up at Miss SD over the summer and will be the first 2015 Teen to compete for a Miss USA state title.
Joining them are former Miss SD Tessa Dee, first runner-up to Lexy & Madison; 2016 semi-finalist Lainie Kessler; and past Teen semi-finalists Jhena van den Hoek and Paige Tracey (who competed in Iowa).
The 19 Miss contestants is similar to previous years, however Teen numbers have taken a significant hit, with this year's 21 contestants being 34% fewer than the average of the past three years.
Having four former Teens back is even more unusual given this very rarely happens in any state (rarely more than once per year on average) much less out of a relatively small group of contestants. Also, the two most recent SD titleholders are also former Teens - Lexy Schenk (Miss SD Teen USA 2011/Miss SD USA 2015) and Madison McKeown (Miss SD Teen USA 2014/Miss SD USA 2016) - which means in the past three years every Teen titleholder from 2009 to 2015 will have competed (history of SD Teen titleholders competing for Miss can be found here). The four for this year are Alyssa Hustrulid (2010, 2RU last year), and first-time Miss contestants Kalani Jorgensen (2012), Alexis Rupp (2013) and Marley Hanson (2015). Marley was fourth runner-up at Miss SD over the summer and will be the first 2015 Teen to compete for a Miss USA state title.
Joining them are former Miss SD Tessa Dee, first runner-up to Lexy & Madison; 2016 semi-finalist Lainie Kessler; and past Teen semi-finalists Jhena van den Hoek and Paige Tracey (who competed in Iowa).
The 19 Miss contestants is similar to previous years, however Teen numbers have taken a significant hit, with this year's 21 contestants being 34% fewer than the average of the past three years.
Alyssa Hustrulid, Kalani Jorgensen, Alexis Rupp, Marley Hanson, Tessa Dee
In the Teen pageant, the first runners-up from 2016 (Skylar Ross) and 2015 (Caitlin Fornia, who was also 4RU last year) are both back. 2016 semi-finalists who are competing are Kaeli Carmichael and Tabitha Sonne.
2016 Teen Top Five | Maria Darrah (2RU), Skylar Ross* (1RU), Makenzie Falcon (Miss SD Teen USA), Caitlin Fornia*(4RU), Nora van Aartsen (3RU)
Click "read more" or scroll below for the full list of contestants.
Contestant lists
MISS CONTESTANTS (19)
Brheanna Berry (NF LA USA 16)
Ted'Dee Buffalo (NF SD TUSA 15)
Tessa Dee (1RU 16, 1RU 15, Miss SD 13)
Marley Hanson (Miss SD Teen USA 15, SF 13)
Alyssa Hustrulid (Miss SD TUSA 10, SF 09)
Kalani Jorgensen (Miss SD TUSA 12, 1RU 11)
Lainie Kessler (SF 16)
Hannah Kieliszewski (NF 16)
Ellie Klaassen (NF SD TUSA 16)
Rheann Larsen
Courtney L.
Jessica P.
Amber Rouse
Kathlina Ruo
Alexis Rupp (Miss SD Teen USA 13, 1RU 12)
Alexandra S.
Paige Tracey (SF IA TUSA 15, NF 14)
Betsabe V.
Jhena Van Den Hoek (NF 16, SF SD TUSA 15, NF 14)
TEEN CONTESTANTS (21)
Angel-Marie Abraham
Jessica Benson
Jessica Bol.
Taynger Borninkhof (NF & Photogenic 16)
Anna Calhoon
Kaeli Carmichael (SF 16)
Isabella Di Gioia (NF 16)
Caitlin Fornia (4RU 16, 1RU 15)
Julia Gesling
Emily G.
Mackenzie H.
Amber H.
Shania Knutson
Grace K.
Katie R.
Skylar Ross (1RU 16)
Jenae Schoeberl
Haylee S.
Tabitha Sonne (SF 16)
Miranda S.
Hannah W.
Brheanna Berry (NF LA USA 16)
Ted'Dee Buffalo (NF SD TUSA 15)
Tessa Dee (1RU 16, 1RU 15, Miss SD 13)
Marley Hanson (Miss SD Teen USA 15, SF 13)
Alyssa Hustrulid (Miss SD TUSA 10, SF 09)
Kalani Jorgensen (Miss SD TUSA 12, 1RU 11)
Lainie Kessler (SF 16)
Hannah Kieliszewski (NF 16)
Ellie Klaassen (NF SD TUSA 16)
Rheann Larsen
Courtney L.
Jessica P.
Amber Rouse
Kathlina Ruo
Alexis Rupp (Miss SD Teen USA 13, 1RU 12)
Alexandra S.
Paige Tracey (SF IA TUSA 15, NF 14)
Betsabe V.
Jhena Van Den Hoek (NF 16, SF SD TUSA 15, NF 14)
TEEN CONTESTANTS (21)
Angel-Marie Abraham
Jessica Benson
Jessica Bol.
Taynger Borninkhof (NF & Photogenic 16)
Anna Calhoon
Kaeli Carmichael (SF 16)
Isabella Di Gioia (NF 16)
Caitlin Fornia (4RU 16, 1RU 15)
Julia Gesling
Emily G.
Mackenzie H.
Amber H.
Shania Knutson
Grace K.
Katie R.
Skylar Ross (1RU 16)
Jenae Schoeberl
Haylee S.
Tabitha Sonne (SF 16)
Miranda S.
Hannah W.
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