The “Winona’s Got Talent Show” took place on Sunday, Oct. 15 during the Homecoming coronation ceremony in Harriet Johnson Auditorium.

The first place prize was $100, second was $75 on Purple Pass and the third place prize was $50 for the bookstore.

In third place was the duo Rachel Paydon, a senior communications studies major and Sydney Bennet first year studying social work and Spanish. Dancer Francisco Angel finished second.  First place went to singer Q’hawe Mahlangu.

Winona State students in attendance judged the talent show through an online survey on their phones.

Winona’s Got Talent had been in preparation for a long time, with auditions happening almost a month in advance.

Although many acts auditioned, only five acts performed during the talent show. Paydon shared the process to be a part of the talent show.

“We signed up for an audition and then auditioned in front of three judges. After that, we waited to hear whether we made it or not,” Paydon said.

Bennet says that performing with another person is much easier than performing alone because of the support that comes along with having a second person on stage.

“It’s a lot easier knowing you have someone on stage with you going through the same things you are,” Bennet said.

Paydon agreed, saying that it relieves a lot of pressure from the performance and also adds an element of fun.

“It was great performing with someone because it really does take a lot of the pressure off of yourself,” Paydon said. “You know that if you mess up, you have another person to help back you up, so it is great to be up [on stage] with another person.”

Events such as the “Winona’s Got Talent Show” provide the opportunity to bring many people together, and also gives many students the opportunity to meet new friends.

Paydon states that Winona’s Got Talent was a great experience for her, as she had fun and met a lot of new people.

“Overall, this was a lot of fun,” said Paydon. “We got to meet new people and we had a lot of fun while doing it. It was also really cool to see so many of our friends come out to support us.”

Winona’s Got Talent was a great opportunity for students to showcase their talents while also having fun. The talent show and the Homecoming Coronation previewed Homecoming Week and many upcoming events.