June 4, 2023, Brookings, SD – Miranda O’Bryan was crowned Miss South Dakota 2023 at Saturday night’s competition. O’Bryan is originally from Martin, is a graduate of South Dakota State University, and is a news anchor for KOTA Territory News/KEVN Black Hills FOX. In addition to her scholarship of $8,000 for winning the competition, O’Bryan was a preliminary on-stage conversation winner Friday evening ($500) and the overall interview award winner ($1,000). She also received a $500 award as the top fundraiser and the $1,000 Quality of Life award.
O’Bryan’s community service initiative is “Page Turners: Fall in Love with Reading.” As her talent, she sang a jazz-club interpretation of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” She is the daughter of Chris & Mikaela O’Bryan and competed as Miss Missouri River.
First runner-up was Carly Goodhart of Sioux Falls, garnering a $6,000 scholarship. Goodhart also won the $500 on-stage conversation award Thursday night, as well as the $1,000 Sylvia Tannehill “Kindness” Scholarship, and the $250 Miss South Dakota Legacy Scholarship.
Second runner-up was Payton Steffensen of Sioux Falls, receiving a $4,000 scholarship. Steffensen also won the $1,000 preliminary talent award on Friday night, as well as the Ray Peterson Rookie Award for being the highest-placing first time candidate.
Third runner-up was Baylee Dittman of Spearfish, receiving a $3,000 scholarship. Dittman also received the Stan Nase business scholarship of $1,000.
Fourth runner-up was Rio Snyder, who was not present for the coronation. Following all of the scored stages of the competition, and after being announced as one of the top five finalists, she suffered a health event and was cared for by three doctors present in the audience, while the performance was paused. She was taken by ambulance to the Brookings hospital and was released later in the evening. Rio is from Black Hawk, and received a $2,000 scholarship plus a $500 STEM award.
Rounding out the top ten semi-finalists, each receiving a $750 scholarship, were Margaret Samp, Emily Deinken and Julia Stanek, all from Sioux Falls as well as Maleah Eschenbaum and Madisen Vetter, both from Aberdeen.
Miss SDSU Katherine Milbrandt won the most talented non-semifinalist ($250 award). Loretta Simon of Sioux Falls was voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants ($500). Javonte Madsen, Rapid City, had the top interview for a non-semifinalist ($250.)
Twenty women from across the state competed for the title. All won scholarships, totalling nearly $45,000. Each of the non-semi-finalists received a $500 scholarship.
O’Bryan will represent South Dakota at the Miss America Competition in early 2024.
More information about the Miss South Dakota Competition is available at http://www.misssd.org, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MissSouthDakota.
