News

ARKANSAS STATE FAIR YOUTH TALENT WINNERS

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 9:29 AM CDT

SPECIAL TO THE COMMERCIAL

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas State Fair youth talent winners were named in Little Rock on Saturday evening.

Grand Champion Youth Talent winner

Taylor Oates of Redfield was named Grand Champion among all the talent winners after he stunned attendees with his singing.

He captured the vocal solo competition with his rousing rendition of “You Raise Me Up.”

Oates, 18, won the southeast district regional vocal solo competition earlier in the week. He is a student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Last year as a high school senior he earned first chair in the All-State Choir and the same position for five straight years with the All-Region Choir. Oates is the son of Donna and Fred Oates. He was also the vocal solo winner at the Southeast Arkansas District Livestock Show, Rodeo and Fair.

Dance solo winner

Caroline Fuller, 17, of Pine Bluff won the statewide dance solo competition with her dance to “Foggy Mountain Breakdown.” This is the third-straight year the senior at Watson Chapel High School has won the same statewide category.

She is the daughter of Charles and Nancy Fuller and was the Southeast Arkansas district fair winner.

Fuller also won the regional dance solo competition and has won the same category in the statewide competition for the past two years.

Best dance group

Class Act, a tap-dancing musical group from the White Hall and Pine Bluff area won the statewide competition for the best dance group. The dancers also were Southeast Arkansas district fair winners.

The group includes Caroline Fuller, daughter of Charles and Nancy Fuller; Elizabeth Cook, daughter of Catherine Cash; Jason Lochman, son of Rebecca Lochman; Grace McKissic, daughter of Gloria McKissic; Abby Parker, daughter of Gail Parker; Sarah Beth Theriot, daughter of Sharon Theriot; and Tucker Travis, son of Sharon Travis.

Cash, McKissic, Theriot and Travis are from White Hall and Lochman, Fuller and Parker are all from Pine Bluff.

Class Act also won the regional dance group competition.

Regional instrumental winner

Stephen Best, 15, of Hermitage was the regional winner in the instrumental solo competition. He played “Bumble Boogie” on the piano. He won the same category at the Bradley County Fair and is a student at Hermitage High School. He also performs in church, in 4H Club and with American Kids.

He is the son of Ronda and Andrew Best Sr.

Print this story   |   Email this story