Both won their divisions at last year’s Walworth County Fair
By Chris Jensen
Contributor
Two young women who won top honors at last year’s Walworth County Fair talent show participated in the second annual Wisconsin State Fair Amateur Talent Show staged last Friday afternoon at the state fairgrounds’ Exposition Hall.
Walworth County’s youth division winner Melissa Konkel, 13, a vocalist from Elkhorn, did not win or place in the state competition, however she was able to sing “Everything is Alright” by Motion City Soundtrack.
Konkel, the daughter of Lisa and Duane A. Konkel, 5639 Highway 11, Elkhorn, is an incoming eighth-grader at Walworth Middle School. Last September, she won the Walworth County Fair youth talent show.
Although she turned 13 last March, Konkel was able to compete in the state youth division (ages 2 to 12) since she won the Walworth County preliminary when she was 12.
Rachel Nicole Vanderstappen, 18, of rural Lake Geneva, who won the teen talent show at last year’s Walworth County Fair talent show, did not place at the state fair talent show, which included twelve entrants from all over the state.
She is the daughter of Nancy and Martin T. Vanderstappen of rural Lake Geneva, and is a 2015 graduate of Big Foot Union High School.
She plans to attend Western Technical College in La Crosse this fall to study massage therapy.
During the teen talent program on Aug. 14, she sang singer Carrie Underwood’s version of the classic hymn “How Great Thou Art.”
Nearby teen division contestant Cole Conrad, 18, of Burlington, who performed his “Jack and the Beanstalk” monologue, did not place. He won the Green County talent show on July 25 in Monroe since he was not able to compete in a southeastern Wisconsin talent show preliminary.
Coincidentally, at last year’s inaugural state fair talent show, the two winners of the 2014 Green County talent show (the youth, ages 2-12, and teen, (ages 13-18) both won the state fair talent show competition in their respective age group.
Winning the 2015 youth division of the state talent show was vocalist Ellie Brenner, 11, of Durand, representing Northern Wisconsin State Fair in Chippewa Falls. The runner-up was gymnast Lindsay Klapatauskas, 9, of Medford.
The teen winner was gymnastic and acrobatic dancer Faith Suzanne Hopkins, 13, of Eau Claire. The runners-up were Cloe Halverson, 17, of
Hudson, and Isiah Berdhon, 14, of Packwaukee in Marquette County.
Serving as host of state talent show competition for the second consecutiveyear was Kenosha native Nicholas J. Dattilo who is best known for running karaoke events and “Nick’s Kids Show.”
For information and possible entry into this year’s Walworth County Fair talent show, contact director Susan Pruessing at susan@walworthcountyfair.com or (262) 723-3228.
