Super Bowl 2024: Jena Sims, wife of Brooks Koepka, parties in Vegas with SI swimsuit models

Being a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookie has its perks.

Model Jena Sims, wife of pro golfer Brooks Koepka, was in Las Vegas for Super Bowl 58 promoting the magazine. She and the other SI models posted photos on Instagram of their busy weekend for America's biggest "holiday," Super Bowl Sunday, including newest SI Swimsuit Rookie Brittany Mahomes.

In October, Sims was named one of seven Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookies — and the process to get there was a labor of love for the Jupiter, Florida, model. Literally. She participated in a rigorous audition process for the title, and did so during the entirety of her pregnancy.

On Feb. 8, the magazine announced model Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, made the lineup. In a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue article, editor-in-chief MJ Day said: “Owner of the Kansas City Current NWSL team, former pro athlete, wife and mother, Brittany emerges as the epitome of a modern-day powerhouse. Founder of the world’s first ever dedicated stadium for women’s sports, Brittany’s journey has surpassed all expectations, inspiring others with her tenacity and unyielding determination. We are proud to welcome her to the SI Swimsuit family where she will undoubtedly continue to empower women worldwide.”

Anyone want to bet? If Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl 58, will Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce go to Disney World?

Many of the SI Swimsuit Rookie models promoted the magazine, 5-hour Energy and attended parties for the Chiefs-49ers matchup.

Here are things to know about Jena Sims, Sports Illustrated’s coveted Swimsuit Issue and the SI Swimsuit Rookies.

Who is Jena Sims?

Model Jena Sims is the wife of pro golfer Brooks Koepka. Both are from Jupiter, Florida. The couple got engaged on a beach in Jupiter in March 2021 and married in June 2022. They have one child, a baby boy named Crew, who was born in July 2023.

The 35-year-old model also is a fashion designer who recently released a swimwear line.

Every year, Sims, who founded the nonprofit Pageant of Hope, organizes the pageant of the same name, which focuses on confidence, self-esteem and inner beauty for children and teens. “Helping these incredible participants from all over the world feel beautiful on the inside so closely parallels the mission behind SI Swimsuit: It’s not about the body, but who’s in that body,” Sims said in a news release. “My passion is helping people and spreading joy. Together, I know we can make a positive impact in the world.”

According to the news release, Sims works with Baby Quest, which provides financial assistance through fertility grants to those who cannot afford the high costs of procedures such as IVF (in vitro fertilization), gestational surrogacy, egg and sperm donation, egg freezing, and embryo donation.

Who is Brooks Koepka?

Brooks Koepka is one of the most celebrated professional golfers in the world. The Jupiter, Florida, native has won five major championships, including the 2023 PGA Championship in May. He plays for LIV Golf and Koepka is the first player to win a major as a member of the new league.

Before that Koepka was a three-time All-American at Florida State University, and he really loves the Florida Panthers of the NHL.

Did Jena Sims, wife of Brooks Koepka, model in a bikini while pregnant?

Sims auditioned for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit while she was pregnant and chronicled the process via interviews with the company's site.

At the height of the contest, Sims and the other finalists appeared during Miami Swim Week in July 2023 (think New York Fashion Week but with fashion shows focused on bikinis and swimsuits for models of all shapes and sizes). At the time of her runway walk, Sims was 8 months pregnant, dressed in a sexy green string bikini and proudly showing off her “baby bump.”

Shortly after walking the runway, Sims and Koepka welcomed their baby boy Crew.

When does Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue come out for 2024?

The 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue will be released in May for the 60th anniversary of the magazine.

Who is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model for 2024?

As of Feb. 11, Super Bowl Sunday, it has not been announced who will grace the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Martha Stewart, Megan Fox, Kim Petras and Brooks Nader were the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue cover models.

What is Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookies?

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookies is an open casting call.

Dubbed “Swim Search,” the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's annual casting call provides opportunities for aspiring and established models to meet with the SI Swimsuit team in hopes of being featured in either the iconic print issue or in various ways on their digital platform, a news release states. In 2023, out of thousands of submissions, 12 finalists were selected to move on to the next round.

Earlier this year, Sports Illustrated announced its Swim Search finalists at the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue Launch event. From the 12, seven finalists were then selected to walk in the brand’s annual Swim Week runway show in Miami. In addition to Miami Swim Week, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookies attended magazine launch week events in New York City and Hollywood, Florida.

The seven finalists were named Rookies and will appear in the 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue’s platforms (see below).

Why did Jena Sims audition for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue while pregnant?

A news release states Sims fulfilled one of her lifelong dreams of appearing in the annual swimsuit edition, even while pregnant, breaking the stereotype of what a typical model should look like.

During the competition, Sims announced a new swimwear line. She not only bared her baby bump while sporting a string bikini, she raised the bar on maternity fashion: Sims showed off her baby bump in a glittery cut-out dress at the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show.

In August 2023, the new mom flaunted her abs in a hot pink cut-out blazer dress at an SI Swimsuit event.

Who are the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Rookies?

Here is the info about the Sports Illustrated 2023 Swim Search winner results, according to SI Swimsuit’s site.

• Achieng Agutu, a “content creator, model and confidence advocate from Kenya, Agutu uses her platform to empower her following through her lifestyle content as a Black woman in fashion. She has a double master’s in international marketing and business analytics and speaks four languages fluently. Agutu, 26, has aspired to be in the SI Swimsuit Issue ever since she moved from Kenya to the U.S. at the age of 13.”

• Nina Cash, a native of Long Beach, California, is a “retired university associate dean and model. She has a doctorate in educational leadership, with an emphasis in higher education and adult learning, and more than 30 years of experience in education, training and workforce development. The 57-year-old mom of three calls her modeling pursuit her ‘encore career,’ and she’s thoroughly enjoying defying people’s expectations of her along the way.”

• Sharina Gutierrez, a “proud mom of three, Gutierrez is a model, sound guide and self-love advocate from Los Angeles. The 33-year-old is also the founder of Mama Mantra, a community for fellow mothers.”

• Penny Lane, a “British model and certified holistic health coach, 27-year-old Lane has long been a fan of the SI Swimsuit brand. She recalls feeling empowered by the images she saw in the magazine at the age of 15, and immediately began dreaming of seeing herself in the pages.”

• Brittney Nicole, a Naval contractor from Georgia, began to “pursue a career in modeling after she completed her contract and worked for the Navy as a civilian. Nicole, 32, has since walked the New York Fashion Week runway and even auditioned for ‘America’s Next Top Model’” with supermodel and host Tyra Banks.

• Jena Sims, a 34-year-old nonprofit CEO, fashion designer and new mom, is “married to one of the most celebrated professional golfers, Brooks Koepka, and participated in a rigorous audition process this year for the title, and did so during the entirety of her pregnancy, even walking in the annual SI Swimsuit Runway Show when she was 8 months pregnant.”

• Berkleigh Wright, a “29-year-old technical account manager and analyst by day and a cheerleader for the Denver Broncos. The Kansas native is an avid reader who chronicles her reading journey with a vlog, ‘Bookin’ It With Berk.’”

Who were previous SI Swimsuit Swim Search open casting call winners?

According to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's site, model-actress Camille Kostek was named co-winner of the first Sports Illustrated Swim Search in 2018 (alongside Haley Kalil) and went on to land the magazine’s cover the following year. Kostek, the 2019 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition’s cover model, has been dating former pro football player (New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Rob Gronkowski aka Gronk since 2015. The couple live in Massachusetts and Tampa, news reports show.

Model-actress Brooks Nader was declared the winner of the Swim Search in 2019 and went on to appear in the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2020, 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Nader was the SI Swimsuit Issue covergirl.

Katie Austin and Christen Harper were named co-winners of the open casting call in 2021, and went on to be co-Rookies of the Year in 2022.

Who won Sports Illustrated Swimsuit’s Swim Search?

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Search 2018 winner: Model-actress Camille Kostek

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Search 2019 winner: Model-actress Brooks Nader

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Search 2020 winners: Tanaye White and Kathy Jacobs

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Search 2021 winners: Katie Austin and Christen Harper

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Search 2022 winner: Mady Dewey

• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Search 2023 winners: Achieng Agutu, Jena Sims, Nina Cash, Penny Lane, Berkleigh Wright, Sharina Gutierrez and Brittney Nicole.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Super Bowl 58, Sports Illustrated models promote Chiefs, 49ers in Vegas