By By JOHN EBY / Niles Daily Star
DOWAGIAC – The first-ever Miss Cass/St. Joseph County Outstanding Teen crowned in Dowagiac Saturday night reigned over the Cass County Fair as queen July 30-Aug. 4.
Tiffany Rogers, 16, a junior at Niles High School and Ross Beatty High School in Cassopolis (FFA), was selected from five contestants.
She is the daughter of David and Cheryl Rogers. She receives a $200 savings bond. Tiffany sang for her talent.
Runner-up Elizabeth Kolden, will be a junior at Dowagiac Union High School.
Elizabeth, 16, the daughter of Patti Kolden and of Roy Kolden, performed a song from "Grease" on her trumpet for the talent segment which counts for 35 percent of the final score. Elizabeth told about the American Legion Tabs for Tots program.
Madelynne Winchester, 13, of Dowagiac, an eighth grader at the middle school, sold the most tickets, was voted the People's Choice and received the recognition of her fellow contestants.
The dancer is the daughter of Michele Winchester and is an eighth grader at Dowagiac Middle School. She cleans toys, answers the phone and assists children at Pokagon Head Start.
Gabrielle File, 13, of Vandalia, won the award for ad sales. She is the daughter of Robert and Vicki File and attends eighth grade at St. Thomas the Apostle. Gaby performed on piano.
Contestant Erin Cline, 15, a sophomore at White Pigeon High School, is the daughter of Shireen Cline and Ken Cline. She played violin for her talent.
Teen judges included: Laura Bradley, a Kalamazoo property manager who lives in Battle Creek; Clifford Fox, a Buchanan resident who has worked for Lakeland for 39 years; Stephanie Marinelli of Niles, who works for the hospice in Roseland, Ind.; Mary Stefanek, who works in Niles and lives in South Bend, Ind.; and Kim True, a 1997 court member who is now a stay-at-home Dowagiac mom.
The audience did not see six-minute interviews judges conducted earlier in the day.