SKILL AT MILKING DOWS LANDS GIRL ON NICKELODEON SHOW

Katie Hemmann doesn't complain about having to milk the cows at her family's dairy anymore. Not since her proficiency at milking earned her a spot on a national television show and several prizes.

Katie, the 14-year-old daughter of David and Kathy Hemmann of Oak Ridge, was a contestant on "Figure It Out," a game show on the Nickelodeon cable network. The episode she appeared on will air at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Katie, whose family doesn't have cable, had never seen the show before being asked to be a contestant. In fact, she still hasn't seen it and will watch Tuesday's episode at a neighbor's house.

On the show, a panel of made up of stars of Nickelodeon series ask questions to try to figure out the talent or abilities of contestants. They were stumped by Katie's claim to fame, which is that she won a cow milking contest.

Katie won the contest, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau VFW, in August 1998. A notice of that win was posted on Cape Girardeau's Web site, where Nickelodeon scouts saw it.

Katie said someone from Nickelodeon called soon after the contest to see if she was interested in being on the show. But it was last July before they called back to arrange for Katie and her family to come to Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Fla.

"They called on a Sunday and wanted us to fly out on Wednesday," Katie said.

Katie is glad she was able to go. By stumping the panel, Katie won a $100 gift certificate to Blockbuster, a TV/VCR and a New Hampshire ski trip. Katie even got to demonstrate her abilities on the show.

"They brought cows onto the set and I showed them how to milk," said Katie. "I don't think some of those people had ever even seen a cow."

Under Katie's experienced direction, some of the panelists even got some milk from the cow, Katie said.

Katie's friends at Oak Ridge School are excited about her television performance and most are planning on watching it Tuesday.