# Miss South Dakota USA

The Miss South Dakota USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of South Dakota in the Miss USA pageant. It is currently directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since 2002.
South Dakota has placed five times. One notable Miss South Dakota USA was Vanessa Short Bull (2000), one of the first Native Americans to compete at Miss USA. Short Bull was also Miss South Dakota 2002. South Dakota's best placement in the competition was Madison Nipe placing in the top five in 2018.
The current titleholder is Ahmitara Alwal of Sioux Falls who was crowned on May 12, 2024 at the Watertown Event Center in Watertown. She represented South Dakota at the Miss USA 2024 pageant in August 2024.

## Gallery of titleholders

* Jessica Albers, Miss South Dakota USA 2013 (pictured in 2015)
* Charlie Buhler, Miss South Dakota 2008

## Results summary

* Top 5: Madison Nipe (2018)
* Top 10/12: Debra Ann Brickley (1974), Madison McKeown (2016)
* Top 15/16: Helen Youngquist (1958), Caroline Pettey (2021)
South Dakota holds a record of 5 placements at Miss USA.

## Winners
### Color key

* Declared as Winner
* Ended as runner-up
* Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
| 2024 | Ahmitara Alwal | Sioux Falls | 25 | Miss Southern South Dakota | | | |
| 2023 | Amber Hulse | Hot Springs | 25 | Miss Black Hills | | | Previously Miss South Dakota 2019 and Miss South Dakota 2020. |
| 2022 | Shania Knutson | Viborg | 21 | Miss Brookings County | | | Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2018 |
| 2021 | Caroline Pettey | Rapid City | 26 | Miss Rapid City | Top 16 | | Previously Miss Alabama Teen United States 2013 |
| 2020 | Kalani Jorgensen | Sioux Falls | 25 | | | | Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2012 Longest reigning Miss South Dakota USA at 1 year, 7 months and 3 days |
| 2019 | Abigail Merschman | Sioux Falls | 22 | | | | |
| 2018 | Madison Nipe | Madison | 21 | | Top 5 | | |
| 2017 | Tessa Dee | Mitchell | 25 | | | | Previously Miss South Dakota 2013 |
| 2016 | Madison McKeown | Sioux Falls | 20 | | Top 10 | | Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2014 |
| 2015 | Lexy Schenk | Irene | 20 | | | | Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2011 |
| 2014 | Brittney Palmer | Brookings | 25 | | | | |
| 2013 | Jessica Albers | Yankton | 26 | | | | |
| 2012 | Taylor Neisen | Rapid City | 20 | | | | |
| 2011 | Chandra Burnham | Highmore | 23 | | | | |
| 2010 | Emily Miller | Irene | 21 | | | | |
| 2009 | Jessica Rowell | Sioux Falls | 22 | | | | |
| 2008 | Charlie Buhler | Mitchell | 19 | | | | |
| 2007 | Suzie Heffernan | Brookings | 20 | | | | |
| 2006 | Alexis LeVan | Sioux Falls | 19 | | | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008 |
| 2005 | Jessica Fjerstad | Madison | 20 | | | | Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 2002 |
| 2004 | Andrea Parliament | Brandon | 20 | | | | |
| 2003 | Jessica Lawrence | Brookings | 25 | | | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2001 |
| 2002 | Sitania Syrovatka | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 2001 | Beth Lovro | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 2000 | Vanessa Short Bull | Rapid City | | | | | Future Miss South Dakota 2002 |
| 1999 | Shawna Gross | Huron | | | | | |
| 1998 | Lori O'Brien | Rapid City | | | | | |
| 1997 | Jamie Swenson | Sioux Falls | 25 | | | | |
| 1996 | Caresa Winters | Huron | 20 | | | | |
| 1995 | Jenny Snobeck | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1994 | Tabetha Mauck | Mobridge | | | | | Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 1991 |
| 1993 | Kara Rovere | Sturgis | | | | | |
| 1992 | Shawn Frerichs | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1991 | Jillayne Fossum | Canton | | | | | Previously Miss South Dakota Teen USA 1988 |
| 1990 | Valerie Sejnoha | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1989 | Nanette Enders | Watertown | | | | | |
| 1988 | Sandi Lynn Fix | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1987 | Jana Van Woudenberg | Hudson | | | | | |
| 1986 | Lori Scumacher | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1985 | Stacey Arnold | Rapid City | | | | | |
| 1984 | Donna Smith | Box Elder | | | | | |
| 1983 | Kelly Rosenbaum | Elk Point | | | | | |
| 1982 | Meaghan North | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1981 | Joan Abbott | Irene | | | | | |
| 1980 | Jane Schmidt | Flandreau | | | | | |
| 1979 | Noele de Saint Gall | Garretson | | | | | |
| 1978 | Nadene Oppold | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1977 | Ginger Thomson | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1976 | Dorothy Westphal | Sioux Falls | | | | Miss Congeniality (tie) | |
| 1975 | Lanette Rabenberg | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1974 | Debra Ann Brickley | Sioux Falls | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1973 | Rebecca Bunkers | Brookings | | | | | |
| 1972 | Kathleen Bakke | DeSmet | | | | | |
| 1971 | Sonia Hart | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1970 | Cynthia Finley | Sturgis | | | | | |
| 1969 | Mary Bergen | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1968 | Byrean Blacksmith | Sioux Falls | | | | | |
| 1967 | Patricia Marshall | Rapid City | | | | | |
| 1962-1966 | Did not compete | | | | | | |
| 1961 | Sharon Hoffman | | | | | | |
| 1960 | Patricia Klith | | | | | | |
| 1959 | Jeannine Stratton | | | | | | |
| 1958 | Helen Youngquist | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1957 | Gay Marshall | | | | | | |
| 1956 | Did not compete | | | | | | |
| 1955 | Phyllis Choquette | | | | | | |
| 1954 | Barbara Ann Brown | | | | | | |
| 1953 | Kathleen Herman | | | | | | |
| 1952 | Marlene M. Rieb | | | | withdrew | | |
* ↑ Age at the time of the crowning