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JBSA News
NEWS | Feb. 21, 2013

Young performers display range of talents at UGT contest

By Robert Goetz Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Dancers, singers and musicians shared the spotlight at the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Airman and Family Readiness Center Feb. 15 for the annual You Got Talent Family and Teen Talent Contest.

Singers performed chart toppers from the past like Don McLean's "American Pie" and newer hits such as Lauren Alaina's "Like My Mother Does," while a group of Steele High School students displayed their hip-hop talents and a brother duo tackled the Vince Guaraldi Trio's "Linus and Lucy," made famous in "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Some 130 people attended the contest, also known as UGT, which is part of the Air Force's Nell Buckley Performing Arts Series.

"It was an amazing show," Andrea Black, Randolph Youth Programs coordinator, said. "We had more group acts this year and a wider variety of performers. I think the talent level was even higher than it's been in past years."

Four judges selected first-place winners in eight categories, using the Air Force's criteria for technical excellence, showmanship and costuming.

Pre-teen winners included Logan Marttala, who performed a guitar solo from Metallica's "Crazy Train"; John and Joseph Talafuse, who played "Linus and Lucy" on the piano; and Randolph Elementary School students Trinity Pettaway, Amaya Sidwell, Jamia Wiggins, Taniyah Wiggins, Adrianne Forbes, Jalyn Harrison, Rhyan Thompson, Chaya Flanders, Joiner Williams and Yani Tyler, who gave a step team performance.

Winners in teen categories were Michael Dondoyano for a piano medley; Steele students Kweisi Satterwhite, Kamani Satterwhite, Quentin Miles and Sterling Jenkins for their hip-hop performance; Jackie Harris Jr. for his dance performance; and Katryna Marttala, who sang "Like My Mother Does." The mother-daughter team of Deborah and Karina Iraheta performed a dance duet to place first in the family group act category.

Last year, Logan and Katryna Marttala took top honors at the Air Force level in the pre-teen group category for their performance of Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain."

Winners at the Randolph UGT contest move on to the Air Force-wide competition, where their recorded performances will be judged. First-, second- and third-place winners in eight categories will be announced.

Black said first-place winners at the Air Force level are invited to perform with the Air Force's Tops in Blue when the troupe visits the winners' installation. She also said some of the Randolph contestants will perform at the youth programs' annual Famaganza April 13.