Illinois

Blake and Gwen Battle Over U of I Student on ‘The Voice'

A University of Illinois student became the center of a battle between Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani on “The Voice” Monday night.

Micah Tryba, 24, of Wheaton, sang a powerful rendition of “I’m Every Woman,” earning chair turns from the two dating judges.

Tryba is a student at the University of Illinois, where she studies animal science and sings in an a cappella group. She had initially planned to study music education, but after her beloved dog Lucy was diagnosed with spinal cancer, she changed course.

“She was the love of my life,” Tryba said on the show. “We had a great doctor that was helping us so I really wanted to be that for somebody else someday.”

While she saved up her money and went on to study in her new field, Tryba said she “couldn’t just leave music to the side.” So, she chose to put her veterinary school on hold and audition for “The Voice.”

“A lot is riding on this 90 seconds,” she said. “It is setting a course for the rest of my life.”

After her performance ended, Shelton was quick to praise her musical abilities.

“What you did just then, it blew me away,” Shelton said. “I truly think you could be standing in the winner’s circle.”

Stefani told Tryba not to fall for Shelton’s good looks and dimples.

“Your intuition, your sensitivity and your control of your voice, it was so tender and sweet,” she said, adding that as a female, she can help Tryba show her personality in a new way through her songs.

But after that, Shelton fought back.

“I can’t say that I know what it’s like to be a girl and Gwen can’t say that she knows what it’s like to win this show,” he said.

And when it came time to make a choice, Tryba decided to go with her gut.

“I think I’m going to go out on a limb and go with my gut at the beginning of this,” she said. “I pick Blake.”

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