By Laura Young
Managing Editor

   

The public is invited to the first of four nights of auditions for Oklahoma Star! Poteau.  Auditions are being held at Warehouse Willys tonight and Thursday night at 7 p.m. and again Aug. 11 and 13.  There are four contestants in the junior division and 17 adult contestants. The junior contestants will be introduced in this edition and the adult contestants will be introduced in the Wednesday and Thursday editions.

Makayla Ward, 13, is from Wister. She is an eighth grade student and her hobbies include basketball, softball, cheer leading with Shooting Stars, barrel racing, bumbling, dancing and singing. She is active in 4-H showing pigs, sheep and goats and as well participating in WHSO. She is a member of the Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association and is currently in the top 15 in pole bending and barrel racing. Her future plans are to become a country singer, a vet and a professional barrel racer. She would also like to cheer with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Isaiah Chandler Thomas, 13, is the youngest son of six children.  He is the son of James and Tonya (Copeland) Burrows of Spiro. He will be in the eighth grade and has been playing the clarinet in band since the sixth grade.  His other hobbies are playing football and basketball. He also started participating in cheer leading competitively in the first grade.  He most enjoys singing and sings in church and at the nursing home.  His dream is to one day win American Idol. He is waiting to turn 16 so that he can enter.

Moriah Burrows, 9, of Poteau is the youngest of six children and the daughter of James and Tonya (Copeland) Burrows of Spiro. She will be in the third grade.  She enjoys singing and has been singing in church and at public events for the past two months.  Her hobbies include Cheer leading and basketball.  She likes singing gospel music and Hannah Montanna, which is her idol. She one day hopes to be famous like Hannah Montanna.

Bailee Davis, 12, (photo not available) of Panama will be signing Coal Miner's Daughter.  All contestants will be required to wait outside during the competition until it is there turn to audition. The winner of the junior division will be chosen Thursday following auditions and will have the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the Friday and Saturday night performances of the Phil Gardenhire PRCA Rodeo, Aug. 14 and 15.