Last Friday night, Matt Wernig, the creator and host of Fifty Dates Fifty States, kicked off Season Three of his popular social media series with a stop right here in Rapid City. His first date of the season? A local nursing student named Kezley Yaeger.
Kezley joined us in studio 4B to talk about her whirlwind weekend with Matt, and from the sounds of it, the date was a total success.
“It was the best date I have ever been on,” Kezley said with a smile. “Not like I have been on many dates, but this was really really good.”
The weekend included a packed itinerary. On Friday night, the two went to the adult night event at WaTiki Waterpark. Saturday was filled with go karting, stops at Patty’s and the Vertex, and a derby party. They wrapped things up with breakfast on Sunday morning.
“It was just a random mix of fun,” Kezley said. “We were going to do paintballing too, but we saw the welts in the pictures and I kind of like my skin.”
Kezley apparently held her own in the go karts. “I got the fastest time between the two of us, and actually the second fastest time of the day,” she said. Racing runs in her family, so it was no surprise she came out ahead.
So how did a nursing student in Rapid City end up on a date with a TikTok-famous traveler?
“I saw his post saying he still needed a date for South Dakota and just decided to apply for fun,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d actually get picked. But two weeks before he got here, he texted me and said I was the one.”
Kezley says the lead-up to the date was a bit of a scramble. With just two weeks to prepare, she had to pull together an outfit and rearrange her schedule in the middle of finals week. She’s currently in her third semester of nursing school and hopes to graduate by the end of 2025 if accepted into the accelerated program.
Originally from Reno, Nevada, Kezley was raised in the Green River and Rock Springs area of Wyoming. She later moved to Gillette, went to Dakota State University where she ran track and broke records, and eventually found her way to Rapid City for nursing school.
As for Matt?
“He’s a great guy,” Kezley said. “Super easy to talk to, didn’t pressure anything. He made it feel like a real date, not some weird internet setup.”
While she admits he wasn’t exactly her type at first, the connection grew.
“I definitely gained attraction throughout the date just from being around him and laughing so much,” she said. “Even people around us commented that we looked like a cute couple.”
And yes, there were a few smooches.
Though Kezley hasn’t heard much from Matt since the date, she’s staying hopeful. “I don’t want to come off as clingy,” she said. “I just want him to enjoy the journey. But I did tell him if I make the finale, he doesn’t have to buy me a plane ticket—I’ll be right here.”
With Matt originally from Rapid City and family still nearby, there might just be more in store for this story. But for now, Kezley is staying grounded.
“I’m rooting for myself,” she laughed. “I just hope he doesn’t forget where he started.”
You can hear the full interview on Wednesday morning on The Roadhouse Show or the Bounced from The Roadhouse podcast. Fans can follow Matt’s journey and see if South Dakota’s Kezley makes it to the season finale by following 50 Dates 50 States on TikTok, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
