Three recent graduates from Greene County High School will get to have a memorable experience tomorrow at the State Co-Ed Track and Field Meet in Des Moines.

Karlee Fagerlind, Hailey Carman and Daniele Madsen were selected to sing the National Anthem tomorrow for the finals of the State Track and Field Meet at Drake Stadium. Choir Director David Heupel tells Raccoon Valley Radio the Iowa High School Music Association sends out a message to all high school music directors requesting recording submissions for consideration to perform the National Anthem at various competitions and events. 

After Fagerlind, Carman and Madsen were chosen to perform at the final day of the State Track and Field Meet, Madsen talks about the rehearsal environment that they were in.

“We had to practice like in a really funny way where Mr. Heupel would sing behind us, three seconds behind, and it was just a whole funny thing. We couldn’t keep it together, but then we pulled through. We’re pretty confident that we’re going to eat this up on state track (championship) day.”  

Heupel explains that when singers perform at Drake Stadium, what they are singing into the microphone in the middle of the field and what they are hearing through the speakers is a slight delay, and so he wanted to have the young women practice in that similar situation. 

Fagerlind says even though each of them has busy schedules, they found time to practice and even perform together at the recently held Iowa Communications Alliance annual conference that was held earlier this year, as she describes what that experience was like.

 

“It was really weird, because we practiced a little bit before, and we got up on stage, and we did really good. But it was really funny, and it was really hard not to laugh because as soon as we stopped, we heard like three people go, ‘Wwwoooww!’ And we didn’t know what to do. So that was definitely like a confidence booster for signing it later.”

 

Heupel adds that with tomorrow being the championship day, this performance will mean that much more for the recent graduates.