Katie MacDonald says she wants to go “really far — as far as possible” in the music industry and by winning the Orange Crush Talent Search for Kids at Trails West Inn Nov. 22, she is well on her way.

Winning at the Orange Crush Talent Search for Kids has been a springboard to success for a number of artists, including Brandon’s Amanda Stott, currently living and working in the industry in Nashville, Katherine Penfold of Austin, Amber Fleury of Dauphin and Chris Thorsteinson of Portage, now of Doc Walker fame.

MacDonald, a 13-year-old Grade 8 student at Linden Lanes, topped a group of seven performers in the 13-and-under category to win the prestigious title. She sang Pat Benatar’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot, a song that needs a strong voice and amped up singing style. “I really like the song,” said MacDonald.

“She had a great stage presence,” said Heidi Howarth, owner of Trails West and organizer of this talent competition for 19 years. “She’s really grown on stage. She commanded the stage.”

This year was MacDonald’s fourth try at the Orange Crush top prize. Next year, she moves into the 14-and-over category.

Winner in the 14-17-year-old category this year was Shannon Patterson of Winnipeg, a 14-year-old in her first year of eligibility in the older class. Patterson was the winner in the younger group last year and her victory this year marks the first time in the event’s history that someone has finished first in back-to-back years.

Rules of the competition say a performer can win only once in each age group, so while Patterson will be invited next year as a guest performer, she cannot compete. MacDonald, however, could match Patterson’s double victory by winning in the older group next year, when she is 14.

MacDonald says she was “really young, like about five or so” when she started singing. “All of my family is musical,” she said.

Besides an amazing talent for singing, the teenager enjoys volleyball and also plays the piano, the guitar and, in a Linden Lanes band, the standup bass. She occasionally sings with a budding rock band, Seeing Colour, in which her older brother, Dylan — who also competed in the Orange Crush contest — is a member. The group has a couple of gigs scheduled before Christmas and Katie says she is looking forward to getting on stage with them.

MacDonald certainly doesn’t have stage fright. Even at 13, she is a veteran of various competitions such as Karaoke for Kids at the Shoppers Mall and auditioning for The Next Star, a YTV program that is a youthful version of Canadian Idol. Last year, she was one of about 300 hopefuls in Winnipeg who auditioned for a spot in The Next Star’s top 16 but although she was one of about 40 picked to return the second day for further scrutiny, her bid fell short.

“I think I’ll go back again next year,” said MacDonald.

With high school beckoning, MacDonald says she plans to enrol at Crocus Plains next year so she can join the CP Express, the school’s juggernaut of a band.