For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss South Dakota.
Miss South Dakota USA
Beauty pageant
Formation1952
HeadquartersWest Des Moines
LocationIowa
MembershipMiss USA
LanguageEnglish
Key peopleKelly McCoy
WebsiteOfficial website

The Miss South Dakota USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of South Dakota in the Miss USA pageant. From 2002 until 2024, Minnesota-based Future Productions produced the pageant.[1] In 2025, KPC Productions became the new production company for the pageant.[2]

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 Lexus Paulson of Sioux Falls who was crowned on May 30, 2026 at the Franklin Center in Des Moines. She will represent South Dakota at Miss USA 2026.

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
YearNameHometownAge[a]Local titlePlacement at Miss USASpecial awards at Miss USANotes
2026Lexus PaulsonSioux Falls28Miss Southeast SDTBATBA
2025Megan HiykelBrookings20Miss SDSU
2024Ahmitara AlwalSioux Falls25Miss Southern South Dakota
2023Amber HulseHot Springs25Miss Black Hills
2022Shania KnutsonViborg21Miss Brookings County
2021Caroline PetteyRapid City26Miss Rapid CityTop 16
  • Previously Miss Alabama Teen United States 2013
2020Kalani JorgensenSioux Falls25
2019Abigail MerschmanSioux Falls22
2018Madison NipeMadison21Top 5
2017Tessa DeeMitchell25
2016Madison McKeownSioux Falls20Top 10
2015Lexy SchenkIrene20
2014Brittney PalmerBrookings25
2013Jessica AlbersYankton26
2012Taylor NeisenRapid City20
2011Chandra BurnhamHighmore23
2010Emily MillerIrene21
2009Jessica RowellSioux Falls22
2008Charlie BuhlerMitchell19
2007Suzie HeffernanBrookings20
2006Alexis LeVanSioux Falls19Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008
2005Jessica FjerstadMadison20
2004Andrea ParliamentBrandon20
2003Jessica LawrenceBrookings25Contestant at National Sweetheart 2001
2002Sitania SyrovatkaSioux Falls
2001Beth LovroSioux Falls
2000Vanessa Short BullRapid City
1999Shawna GrossHuron
1998Lori O'BrienRapid City
1997Jamie SwensonSioux Falls25
1996Caresa WintersHuron20
1995Jenny SnobeckSioux Falls
1994Tabetha MauckMobridge
1993Kara RovereSturgis
1992Shawn FrerichsSioux Falls
1991Jillayne FossumCanton
1990Valerie SejnohaSioux Falls
1989Nanette EndersWatertown
1988Sandi Lynn FixSioux Falls
1987Jana Van Woudenberg[3]Canton17
1986Lori ScumacherSioux Falls
1985Stacey ArnoldRapid City
1984Donna SmithBox Elder
1983Kelly RosenbaumElk Point
1982Meaghan NorthSioux Falls
1981Joan AbbottIrene
1980Jane SchmidtFlandreau
1979Noele de Saint GallGarretson
1978Nadene OppoldSioux Falls
1977Ginger ThomsonSioux Falls
1976Dorothy WestphalSioux FallsMiss Congeniality (tie)
1975Lanette RabenbergSioux Falls
1974Debra Ann BrickleySioux FallsSemi-finalist
1973Rebecca BunkersBrookings
1972Kathleen BakkeDeSmet
1971Sonia HartSioux Falls
1970Cynthia FinleySturgis
1969Mary BergenSioux Falls
1968Byrean BlacksmithSioux Falls
1967Patricia MarshallRapid City
1962-1966Did not compete
1961Sharon Hoffman
1960Patricia Klith
1959Jeannine Stratton
1958Helen YoungquistSemi-finalist
1957Gay Marshall
1956Did not compete
1955Phyllis Choquette
1954Barbara Ann Brown
1953Kathleen Herman
1952Marlene M. Riebwithdrew
  1. ^ Age at the time of the crowning

References

  1. ^ "Miss USA & Miss Teen USA State Pageants by Future Productions". missminnesotausa.com. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  2. ^ "About Us - Miss USA - KPC Productions". 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  3. ^ "MISS USA". Hawaii Tribune-Herald. 17 February 1987. p. 2. Retrieved 10 October 2025. – via Newspapers.com