Tarboro’s 16-year-old Sara Dew sang her heart her out Sunday night, but it wasn’t enough to win the Southeast Regional in the Colgate Country Showdown.

Johnny Bulford of Orlando, Fla., won the regional and advances to the national finals Jan. 15, also in Nashville and a chance to win $100,000 and the title of “Best New Act in Country Music.” Bulford, who lives and works in Nashville, competed in Florida to earn his spot in the regional.

“She did very good,” said Sara’s mother Terri Dew. “She stayed in tune and on pitch. You couldn’t ask for her to do any more.”

Sara sang “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and “Anyway.”

She sang third in a field of three female and four male singers and one band.

“She’s fine,” said her mother. “She got here, sang here and has several production companies that want to talk to her.”

The Dew family planned to drive back to Tarboro today.

“It’s back to school and back to work,” Terri Dew said.

A charter bus of family and fans left Tarboro at midnight Friday but was involved in a traffic accident in Burlington.

“They had to wait five hours for another bus, but no one was injured and they all made it here,” Terri Dew said.

Sara’s next performances will be at Project Thanksgiving, Nov. 27, opening for the Alvin Smith “Christmas with Elvis” show in Nashville, N.C., on Nov. 29 and the Farm-City Breakfast in Tarboro Dec. 4.

Sara earned the trip to Music City, USA and $1,000 by winning the Showdown North Carolina/South Carolina State Final in Williamston on Sept. 27. Before that, she won a local contest in Chocowinity.