WHS trio chosen to sing National Anthem at State Basketball Tournament …

The Iowa High School Athletic Association chose the Waukon High School trio of junior Leslie Halverson, sophomore Madalyn Ellingson and senior Jasmyn Enyart to perform the National Anthem at the 2018 Boys State Basketball Tournament in early March. That trio performed Tuesday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. prior to the start of the Class 4A first-round contest between Iowa City West and Muscatine at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines (as evident in the submitted photo above right). The three-part women’s arrangement of the National Anthem performed by Enyart, Ellingson and Halverson was arranged by former Waukon High School choir director Al Leathers. All three singers are currently under the direction of Sarah J. Bieber Palmer. Pictured in the submitted photo above, left to right, are Waukon High School Vocal Music Director Sarah J. Bieber Palmer and her selected Waukon High School vocal music students Leslie Halverson, Jasmyn Enyart and Madalyn Ellingson.

“Presenting the National Anthem in front of a crowd of several thousand people is a unique experience for most high school students,” shared Palmer. "It was a positive experience for everyone involved - performers, participants and audience. It has been 13 years since singers from Waukon were chosen to sing at an Iowa High School Athletic Association Tournament. Previous singers were Erin (Torkelson) Bunge, Rachael (Hagen) Furgiuele and Alison Blake in 2005.”

Jasmyn Enyart was a member of the Opus Honor Choir and was selected for the 2017 Iowa All-State Chorus her senior year. She also sang the National Anthem for the 2017 Iowa State Cheerleading Championships, and has sung the National Anthem for multiple athletic events at Waukon High School. She also sings on the Worship Team at her church and sings lead in the Waukon High School Barbershop Quartet.

Leslie Halverson participates in the fall musical, chamber choirs, drumline, band, jazz band, is a piano accompanist, and has attended many honor choirs in northeast Iowa. This past fall, she was chosen to sing in the All-State Choir as an Alto II and she also sings Alto I in the Waukon High School Barbershop Quartet.

Madalyn Ellingson is an active member of the Waukon Concert Choir and has been accepted into many honor choirs and enjoys performing at a variety of community and school events. She also sings high soprano in the Waukon High School Barbershop Quartet. She was accepted into the 2017 Iowa All State Honor Choir this past fall and looks forward to auditioning again later this year.