By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
DOWAGIAC - Fraternal twins Megan and Elizabeth Mace, 11, of Niles, belted out "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" a cappella Friday night to win $125 in the fourth annual Q92/Dowagiac Daily News Star Search Talent Show.
Rain fell throughout the contest in Beckwith Park during Dowagiac's 19th annual Fun Fest.
The girls will be sixth graders at St. Mary's.
They are the daughters of Mary Miars and Randy Mace and no strangers to performing, including Four Flags Players, Young Americans, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at Niles High School, two school plays, acting classes and a school talent show.
The girls, who finish each other's sentences, plan to bank their winnings, except "we're probably going to buy a really cool scooter."
Second place, and $75, went to Michelle Kenney for her vocal rendition of "Again."
Third, for $50, was the contest's first-ever ventriloquist, Bruce Burkett of Decatur and his sidekick, Tommy Scott.
All contestants received free tickets for Indiana Beach.
Also competing were:
Jeff Neumann singing and playing guitar to "Wink and a Smile," accompanied on keyboards by Mary, his wife of 20 years. The Neumanns live in Niles, but operate an insurance business in Dowagiac.
Samantha Mathews, Kendra Pope and Andrea Jones, dancing.
Ashlie Hickman of Cassopolis singing the gospel tune "Higher Ground."
Amber Neumann of Niles, dancing.
Loren Glynn of Decatur singing "Colors of the Wind."
James Harper of Cassopolis singing and playing guitar to his own composition, "Rio Bravo." He will be entertaining this week at the Cass County Fair in Cassopolis.
Bronco Billy and Virginia Slim closing with a medley of singing, banjo and mandolin on "Sweet Violets," "I'll Fly Away" and "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme song. Judging the competition were Miss Dowagiac 2004 Brittany Winters, Q92 News Director Mike Bruneau, morning show co-host with Master of Ceremonies Joe Jason, and Dowagiac Daily News Managing Editor John Eby.