Miranda Mack

Self-proclaimed SDSU nerd Miranda Mack is happy to be back at State after spending nearly two weeks competing for Miss America. While the reigning Miss South Dakota (formerly Miss SDSU) enjoyed her time in Atlantic City, she’s ready to return to music lessons, sorority meetings and the 2017 Hobo Day Committee.

Miranda Mack, second from right, was crowned Miss South Dakota 2017 in June. The daughter of Hugh and Cari Mack of Redfield, Mack held the local title of Miss SDSU. She received the crown from Julia Olson ’16, far right. Also competing for Miss South Dakota were Jackrabbits, from left, Evy Johnson ’17, Carly Goodhart and Isabella Garcia ’16.

“One of the big draws for me entering the Miss South Dakota program this past year was just that I might be good at it; people had suggested it to me,” said Mack, a music education major from Redfield. “I’m a musician and a dancer and a scholar … It seemed like a good fit for my skillset.

“The biggest reason, in the end, that I had to try my first local pageant was that I wanted a sash that declared me as the biggest SDSU nerd on campus. Friends were already calling me ‘Miss SDSU’ as a joke because I’m all about this place, so I wanted it to be official,” she continued, breaking into a laugh.

In Atlantic City, Mack’s schedule was not all rehearsals and competitions.

“It was like being at camp but not as heavily scheduled. I was pleasantly surprised that we had ample time to get to know each other, relax and soak in where we were,” she said. “We weren’t running, running, running like I thought we’d be.

“Evenings were usually spent doing fun things. One night we went to a country club where we were treated to golf lessons and a nice dinner with the club members. Another night they took us to Steel Pier, and we rode the roller coasters for about two hours.

“It was a great experience. While I’ll miss the excitement and the glamour of the Miss America experience, not to mention the friends I made there, I’m very glad to have my independence back and be able to dive into my favorite part of the year—Hobo Day.”