Brookings to host Miss South Dakota’s Teen Competition May 30-31; Adrian Gruis from Onida is one of the contestants

Twelve young women from around the state will compete May 30-31, 2024, for the title of Miss South Dakota’s Teen 2024. The theme of this year’s competition is Swingin’ Glam with delegates judged on interview, talent, physical fitness, and red carpet. The new titleholder will be crowned Miss South Dakota’s Teen 2024 and will compete for the title of Miss America’s Teen.

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 competition. Showtime will be 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 30, and 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, with the new Miss South Dakota’s Teen crowned at the conclusion of Friday’s performance. Tickets are available at https://www.misssd.org.

The pageant will feature Nevaeh Kee of Faulkton, the current Miss South Dakota’s Teen. Nevaeh represented South Dakota at the Miss America’s Teen Competition in Orlando in January 2024.

Throughout its 77-year history, the Miss South Dakota program has impacted over 18,000 young women. This year, over $64,000 in scholarships will be 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 $3,000 in scholarships, with more than $12,000 in scholarship funds available to teen candidates.

The new titleholder will compete at the 2025 Miss America’s Teen Competition. The Teen Pageant is open to young women ages 14-18 who have not yet graduated from high school or who graduate this spring.

The young women competing are (name, age, title, hometown, talent, and Community Service Initiative):

Adrian Gruis, 18, Miss Jacks’ Teen, Onida, Talent: Vocal, Community Service Initiative: Teen Dating Violence Awareness

Amelie Wilcox, 18, Miss Rolling Plains’ Teen, Rapid City, Talent: Electric Bass Guitar, Community Service Initiative: Seeing the Invisible: Autoimmune Disease Awareness

Anna Bisbee, 18, Miss Wolf Pack’s Teen, Columbia, Talent: Vocal, Community Service Initiative: Support for Children of Law Enforcement Officers

Arianna Galles, 16, Miss Rapid City’s Teen, Rapid City, Talent: Lollypop Lyra, Community Service Initiative: Restore our Earth

Bailey Phillips, 17, Miss Brookings’ Teen, Sioux Falls, Talent: Dance, Community Service Initiative: Epilepsy Awareness

Briley Hope Steffensen, 17, Miss Hub City’s Teen, Harrisburg, Talent: Dance, Community Service Initiative: Be True 2 You

Evian Johnson, 16, Miss Siouxland’s Teen, Brookings, Talent: Dance, Community Service Initiative: Use Your Power

Jerica Ratigan, 16, Miss Missouri River’s Teen, Frankfort, Talent: Dance, Community Service Initiative: Seatbelt Safety

Modesty Heath, 17, Miss State Fair’s Teen, Huron, Talent: Vocal, Community Service Initiative: Harvesting Wisdom: Agriculture Literacy

Riley Schwinler, 17, Miss Huron’s Teen, Aurora, Talent: HERStory™, Community Service Initiative: Caring with CASA

Taya Ritterbush, 17, Miss Rushmore’s Teen, Hot Springs, Talent: Trumpet, Community Service Initiative: Swimming in Inclusion: Floating in Diversity

Taysan Rouselle, 17, Miss Hot Springs’ Teen, Hot Springs, Talent: Vocal, Community Service Initiative: Decreasing Homeless Population

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