SC has a new Miss Teen. Here’s who won
Miss South Carolina’s Teen 2026 is Logan Wells, a Heathwood Hall student who wants to be a neurosurgeon.
The Columbia 17-year-old was crowned Friday night at Township Auditorium.
She earned a $12,500 scholarship for winning the competition as well as a number of other awards during the week-long event including the STEM Scholarship and Medical Scholarship.
Her platform is Fresh Friends — cultivating generations of youth volunteerism. She competes in track and field and cross-country and is a member of the National Honor Society.
She will compete in the Miss America’s Teen competition in West Palm Beach, Florida in September. Last year at that competition Miss South Carolina’s Teen Tess Ferm won the title, which meant LilyKate Barbare served as Miss South Carolina Teen for the remainder of the year.
Wells’ mother said on Facebook before Friday night’s competition, “Last night, my Nugget took the stage and performed her talent, and we couldn’t be more proud! For those who know her story, she stopped dancing eight years ago, so this mama’s heart was overflowing with joy watching her back on stage doing something she loves.”
She performed a lyrical dance to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
During the question and answer period, Wells was asked what leadership means to her. She said it is uplifting the community and promised to “hit the ground running” in advocating for her platform.
During a conversation with emcee Morgan Scarnecchia and the other four finalists she said people often ask what young people want to do in the future, but she wants to ask what they want to do now.
Miss South Carolina 2023 Jada Samuel also served as an emcee.
The other finalists were 4th Ballentine’s Teen Cleo Floyd Johnstone; 3rd Newberry’s Teen Kyrsten Long; 2nd Golden Corner’s Teen Eva Reed Wilson and 1st runner up Fox Creek Teen Alissa Claire Rhodes.
In all there were 26 contestants.
Miss South Carolina will be held at 8 p.m. Saturday at Township Auditorium. The live broadcast will be on the following local TV stations:
- Columbia: WACH FOX 57
- Charleston: ABC 4
- Myrtle Beach/Florence: ABC 15
- Upstate SC: My40
The Miss South Carolina organization also has a livestream available.
Other teen winners were:
Preliminary Fitness Award
Alissa Claire Rhodes, Miss Fox Creek High School’s Teen
Kamryn Mathis, Miss Greer High School’s Teen
Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
Preliminary Evening Gown Award Winners - Teen
Logan Wells, Miss Palmetto’s Teen
Cleo Floyd-Johnstone, Miss Ballentine’s Teen
Kursten Long, Miss Newberry’s Teen
Preliminary Talent Winners - Teen
Kamiyah Waddell, Miss Lake Keowee’s Teen
Eva Reed Wilson, Miss Golden Corner’s Teen
Kenzie Welch, Miss Lowcountry’s Teen