In a small pool of young, talented Grays Harbor singers who wanted a shot at glory, three came out on top.

Lyla Wheeler, Macie Leach and Pearl Robarge not only succeeded in the VFW Red, White and Blue Scholarship Contest, where they sang the Star Spangled Banner. On Tuesday night, they each went home with some cold, hard cash after a crowded reception at American Legion Hall Post 5, in Aberdeen.

In late March, Wheeler, a North River School fifth grader who placed first in the competition, Leach, a Miller Junior High School eighth grader who placed second, and Robarge, a McDermoth Elementary School fourth grader who placed third, beat out six other singers. The age range goes from kindergarten to 12th grade.

It’d be tough to know how hard it was from talking to the contestants. Maybe they’re just that good.

“I did not put much practice into it,” Leach said. “It very much slipped my mind. I have a lot of stuff going on this year and this was pretty last minute.”

Leach’s love of theater has compacted her time and sent her to various school productions since January. But, even with a hectic schedule, she looked happy to star Tuesday night alongside Wheeler and Robarge.

Each of the singers sent in a video performance of them singing the national anthem. And after Tuesday night’s award night in which Wheeler received $150, Leach received $100 and Robarge received $75, they’ll each have a chance to win at the district level. If they win there, they’d move onto state. And from there, the national contest, according to Robarge’s aunt, Tiffany Maki.

According to Maki, an acclaimed singer on Grays Harbor, the amateur singers accomplished quite the feat in tackling the anthem.

“The national anthem is one of the most difficult songs to perform, and even more so performed a cappella,” Maki said. “I didn’t do it until a good 20 years into being a professional musician, and still stress about it. All of them (being) under 18 just floors me.”

While Robarge went through “a lot of practice” with her mom, dad and aunt in order to get to this stage, Wheeler was able to knock it out of the park with a little less preparation.

“I would say not a lot, not a little, I’d say like medium,” Wheeler said. “Probably like three times per week.”

VFW reaction

Jo Ann Briones Wadsworth, treasurer for VFW Post 224, spoke briefly to the crowded hall about what this night means for the students.

“Remember, this is for our kids,” Wadsworth said. “It’s to show them what they can do to achieve goals through school and through the VFW and through any kind of scholarship fund. So always encourage your kids to try something because it never hurts to try. And if you try it means you did something positive in your life.”

According to Barbara Dyer, president of the VFW, Wadsworth worked hard to make all of this happen.

“Jo Ann has done a wonderful job this year working with scholarships and reaching out to the schools and to people she knows,” Dyer said. “So I invite you to share with the other kids you know and to challenge them, and let’s get more people involved in this.”

Parental reaction

Pearl’s parents, Heather and Jamie, were grinning ear-to-ear about their daughter’s achievement.

“I’m absolutely so proud of her,” Heather said. “She loves to sing. And this is a great accomplishment for a 10-year-old.”

Heather said Pearl will “find a way to use it,” in reference to the $75. Jamie suggested she’d go the candy route. He was proud of Pearl’s work ethic.

“I’m extremely proud of her, she works so hard for these things,” Jamie said. “She puts in the time and she works hard for it, and she gets great results. I think that’s a good example for anybody.”

Retired Marine Corps Captain Jim Daly, Leach’s grandfather, spoke about her love of singing.

“I’m very proud,” Daly said. “She’s got a wonderful voice. She loves to sing, always has since she was an infant. She was singing as soon as she could say words. She sings with the radio and so forth. She’s been in two musicals here. She was in the high school musical and the college musical here recently. She found out yesterday she got a part in 7th Street Kids’ production this summer. We’re really proud of her and we support her in every way we possibly can.”

Daly said the VFW has “always supported the community,” through the schools and the classrooms, as well as outside of academia.

“We think the kids are the future and it’s why we focus a lot of our attention on (helping) the kids,” Daly said.

Sunny Wheeler, Lyla’s mom, got a little emotional when talking about her daughter.

“Well, when you said ‘proud’ I already started to hold back the tears,” Sunny said. “Very proud, extremely proud of her. She’s so brave to do that. And at this age, because I was never that brave. I waited a while before I started singing, and so she just kind of dominated it.”

Sunny said Lyla started singing “ever since she could.”

“She loves music, she’s always loved singing to music and just perfecting the sound of it within herself, with what she feels good with and it just grew,” Sunny said.

Sunny plays a lot of clean music from different genres, such as country, hip hop, rock, metal and apparently Lyla soaks it all in. But Carrie Underwood’s “Blown away” sticks out in the Wheeler household. Morgan Wallen does too.

Sunny also spoke about the competition and how Lyla’s been able to be successful in the competition.

“It was such a great opportunity to be presented to her, and she’s at such a small school,” Sunny said. “I was actually really surprised that (the competition) found its way all the way out there. (Lyla) was just able to sing it. Her teacher was good about video recording her right away. She and I and the rest of my family are very thankful for this opportunity that I didn’t really know was a thing until now.”

And now since the Wheelers know about the VFW’s competition they’ll be sharing it with other students at North River.

“Now we have lots more information about how maybe the kids can help carry the flag, and more interest in that,” Sunny said. “And the rest of the scholarship info is really cool, so we will definitely be passing that on.”

Contact Reporter Matthew N. Wells at matthew.wells@thedailyworld.com.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World Macie Leach, center, an eighth grader from Miller Junior High who will soon attend Aberdeen High School, won second place in the VFW Red, White and Blue Scholarship Contest. Leach took home $100 in cash and a wood plaque for her mastery of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Barbara Dyer, president of VFW Post 224, left, stands proudly with Anthony Magri, post commander for VFW Post 224. This is Leach’s second VFW award in the past nine months. Leach won the VFW’s National Lifesaving Award in September 2023 for saving a man whose canoe had tipped over and “left him struggling to stay afloat, tangled in vegetation,” according to The Daily World.

Matthew N. Wells / The Daily World The customized plaque that each of the three winners received for their singing prowess on “The Star Spangled Banner.”