Talent Search champion Grace Wood honors family in Iowa State Fair twirling performance
Grace Wood suffered second degree burns on her hands when she was a kid after catching a fiery baton in the wrong spot. She said she was too scared to pick up fire batons for nearly a decade after the accident.
On Sunday afternoon on the Anne and Bill Riley Stage in front of an Iowa State Fair crowd, however, Wood was fearless. In a yellow costume adorned with sparkles and fringe, she juggled up to three fire-lit batons in one go. When she caught that last fiery baton, she said she knew, this time, she had crushed it.
Wood, of Indianola, took home the grand champion prize at the 62nd Annual Bill Riley Talent Search, which included a trophy and a $10,000 prize. Wood competed alongside eight other talented participants from across the state. The talent show performers made their way to the championship competition after a week of preliminary and semi-final competitions at the fair.
Though she may have suffered a minor burn on the back of her shoulder mid-performance, Wood said her adrenaline was pumping and she could not even feel it.
By the time she grasped the trophy in her hands, she said she was in complete shock.
"I have been on this stage since I was six years old," she said, trophy in hand. "Even beyond just winning, closing out my competitive twirling career on this stage really means more to me than any other baton competition or performance I could do."
Wood, now a 20-year-old Iowa State student and the twirler for Iowa State University Cyclone Marching Band, said she has been performing at the Iowa State Fair her entire life. A Sprout champion at age 10 and again at age 12, Wood said she returned to the Anne and Bill Riley Stage on Sunday for redemption.
“My final shows when I was a Sprout I was not happy with,” she said. The large crowd, the cameras and the added pressure led to her dropping her batons and leaving the stage disappointed, she said.
"So I kind of came into today like 'OK, it’s been ten years. Let’s redeem yourself, Grace. You’re older now you can do it,'" she said.
After her near-perfect performance, assisted by her mother Denise Wood who lit up the fire batons, Wood said she felt like she finally accomplished the performance she had been working nearly a decade to achieve.
“It's just a relief to be really proud of my performance today," she said.
Wood comes from a long line of talented twirlers. Her great-grandmother first picked up the baton in the 1950s and her mother also twirled for Iowa State University back when she was in college, Wood said. Wood and her mother also help coach her younger sister and their twirling team, who Wood said recently brought home a national title.
As she looks ahead to her next two years as a Cyclone, Wood said she is honored to continue on this storied family tradition and to keep spreading Iowa State school spirit.
"That's always what this has been about for me since I was a little little girl," she said.
Diverse talents take the stage
The 62nd Annual Talent Search featured a little bit of everything for the audience on Sunday afternoon.
"From trumpets to taps, you are going to see everything on this iconic stage tonight," said Jackie Schmillen, the new host from Channel 5 We Are Iowa. Schmillen took over from Bill Riley Jr., who retired last year.
While Wood's flips and twirls claimed the top prize, there was a close battle for second place — so close, in fact, that the judges simply could not decide.
Vocalist and trumpet player Isaac Morlan, 18, of Cedar Falls and the clogging quintet of Lynsey Countryman, 18, Allison Reinking, 17, Hannah O'Connell, 18,
Anna Heck, 19, and McKenzie Goodwin, 19, of Moville, Kingsley and Anthon, tied for second place, each earning a $5,000 prize.
In addition to the winners, the senior category competition, for those between the ages of 13 and 21, also included :
An acrobatic dance routine from Urbandale residents Aubrey Klipfel, 13, Betsy Lehman,13, and Ella Varley, 12;
A passionate vocal performance of "If I Can Dream" by Carter Hayden, 21, of Blairstown;
A graceful and athletic lyrical dance performance by Bailey Miller, 21, of Gowrie;
Ann emotion rendition of "She Used to be Mine" from the musical "Waitress" by singer and guitar plater Grace Kiple, 21, of Sargeant Bluff
An elegant dance performance by Alivia Rediske, 14, Alexa Rediske, 16, of Polk City;
and a soulful and passionate performance of "And I am Telling You" by 14-year-old vocalist Aleesha Smith of Waterloo.
Sprout Champions wow the crowd
While the panel of judges went to deliberate the results of the senior competition, the Sprout Champions took the stage to show of their talents.
The Sprout competition was open to participants between the ages of two and 12. The eight champions featured on Sunday were selected during the semi-finals and each took home a $500 prize.
The younger set's performances included:
A personality-filled tap trio performance by Monroe Eischeid, 10, of Manning, Elly Houston, 11, of Denison, and Sophia Hodne, 11, of Irwin;
A lyrical dance performance by 12-year-old Addi Leonard of Stuart;
An animated musical theater performance of "Giants in the Sky" from the musical "Into the Woods" by Corban McHone, 12, of Fort Dodge;
A ballet solo by 12-year-old dancer Catie Christenson of Urbandale;
A joy-filled rendition of "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" by singer and guitar player Grace Holmbeck, 12, of Sibley;
A fun tap performance by trio Kinley Oberhaus, 10, Bayleigh Sieverding, 10, and Kinidi Struck, 10, of Davenport;
A jazz duet from 11-year-old Norwalk residents Preston Martin and Arianna Bowen;
and a medley by singer Dawson Huinker, 12, of West Des Moines.
Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Twirler Grace Wood wins the Iowa State Fair's Talent Search
