Wollmann to compete for Miss S.D. USA Saturday in Brandon

Siri Wollmann, 18, has been selected as a finalist for Miss South Dakota USA, set for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at the Brandon Valley Performing Arts Center. 

And she’s going into the pageant – her first – with no expectations.  

“No expectations” may seem like a counterproductive mindset for a Miss South Dakota USA contestant, but Wollmann has lived by this mantra since suffering a sports injury and concussion playing soccer in 2014.       

After the injury, it was a struggle to hold simple conversations, read – even being around people required too much cognitive effort. She found it was easiest to isolate herself. 

“With all the activities and people I enjoyed stripped away from me, along with that went my confidence and my identity,” Wollmann said. “Explaining to everyone around me why I wasn’t back to my normal self was impossible, and I had a set of expectations of myself that were no longer possible.”

After months of rest and soul-searching, she set a new goal: no expectations. She accepted not only that she would recover in her own time and in her own way, but also that she couldn’t be the same person she was prior to the accident. 

Wollmann took on new challenges. She switched high schools. Over time, she developed a new sense of purpose, new goals and a new outlook on life. 

Her brother, Bryce, talked her into entering the Miss South Dakota USA pageant. She balked at first – “That seemed arrogant,” she said – but he convinced her she had all the traits that defined beauty: kind, hardworking, steadfast, strong.  

Over the past six months, Wollmann worked to change her mind and her body. She slowly began seeing herself more like her brother described her. 

“I have a lifetime of stories, but the one I hope to share is the story of moving forward and accepting change,” she said. “I’m a firm believer that we don’t grow when things are easy; we grow when we face challenges.”

Wollmann is the daughter of Tim and Marissa Wollmann of Garretson. She graduated from Brandon Valley High School in 2017 and attends the University of South Dakota, majoring in business.

Preliminary competition is Saturday. Doors open to the general public at 6 p.m., and the pageant begins at 8 p.m. Finals are Sunday at 4 p.m., with doors opening at 2:30 p.m. 

For tickets call (651) 222-9650 or visit missminnesotausa.com. 

The winner will go on to represent South Dakota in the 2018 Miss USA competition.