The state crowned a new Miss South Dakota over the weekend.

Rapid City native Hunter Widvey gets the honor of wearing the crown for the upcoming year.

Dakota News Now reports, Widvey was crowned Saturday night (June 4) during a ceremony held on the campus of the South Dakota State University in Brookings.

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According to a press release issued by the pageant, Widvey received an $8,000 scholarship for being named Miss South Dakota 2022. She also raked in an additional $1,000 by becoming the preliminary talent winner on Friday night, and her bank account grew by another $1,000 that evening as a result of being the overall interview award winner. Widvey wasn't done quite yet, she also took home a STEM scholarship of $750. So, needless to say, it was a very big weekend for a very talented young woman.

During the talent portion of Saturday's pageant, Widvey sang the song, “Feelin’ Good” made famous by artists Michael Buble and Nina Simone.

Childhood Cancer Awareness is near and dear to Widvey's heart, therefore she has elected to make that cause her social impact initiative.

As Dakota News Now reports, the Augustana University graduate is no stranger to winning pageants, Widvey, was named Miss South Dakota’s Outstanding Teen in 2016. That makes her the fourth former teen titleholder to go on and win the Miss South Dakota crown.

What's next for Widvey?

In addition to the many speaking engagements, performances, and appearances planned for her throughout the remainder of this year, Widvey will also go on to compete for the title of Miss America 2023. That competition is scheduled to take place this December at the Mohegan Sun resort in Connecticut.

All told, twenty women from across the state competed for the title of Miss South Dakota 2022. A total of $48,000 in scholarships were given out over the weekend to the ladies who participated in the pageant. Each one of the non-semi-finalists received a $1,000 scholarship.

Source: Dakota News Now

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You may not think of South Dakota as the crossroads of celebrity life. That's a good thing, we kind of like to live under the radar here on the upper plains.

But, living in South Dakota we are just a few degrees away from stardom. Not just because the author of the Little House on the Prairie books is from here. Or because every time Tom Brokaw shows up on TV, someone will say, "You know he's from Yankton."

We may not have as much of a chance at a celebrity sighting in South Dakota as we would in Minneapolis, but there are some famous personalities you may run into in the 605.