Pesek hopes to bring Miss Teen USA crown home to Shiner

Shiner resident Dallyn Pesek hopes to shine brightly later this month as the Miss Texas Teen USA title holder when she takes part in the 42nd Miss Teen USA pageant in Los Angeles, Calif.

Pesek, who is also the reigning Miss Teen Houston, will compete in the Miss Teen USA preliminaries and Miss Teen USA Costume competition on Wednesday, July 31, at the Peacock Theater, 777 Chick Hearn Court. The teen prelims begin at 5 p.m. PST and the Costume contest begins at 8:30 p.m. PST. Tickets for that event are on sale now.

If Pesek advances to the Miss Teen USA finals, she will compete at the Peacock Theater at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1; the finals will be televised on the CW Network.

The 2023 Miss Texas Teen USA, Haylee Elyse Puckett of Houston, finished as third runner-up. Only three Miss Texas Teen USAs have won the title of Miss Teen USA — Christie Lee Woods of Huntsville (1996), Danielle Doty of Harlingen (2011) and Karlie Hay of Tomball (2016).

According to her biography, Pesek, 17, is a rising senior at Shiner St. Paul High School who plays five sports, serves as the varsity cheer captain, and is a member of both the National Honor Society and Student Council.

She is also a special needs cheer coach and pageant director for the Miss Sparkle Special Needs Pageant. She hopes to attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a career in pediatric neurology, with an emphasis on helping special needs patients.