A pair of Wabash College juniors set the pace for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship on Saturday at Ironman Raceway.
Opening ceremonies, including annual speeches from local community leaders, could not take place due to coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions. Ticket sales were also limited according to social distancing guidelines.
But what could go on as planned was the National Anthem, sung by juniors Will Borland and Austin Coon atop a small platform behind the press starting line press box facing into the woods.
“We’ll figure it out. It’ll be fun,” Borland said minutes before taking the stage.
“We were gonna have four guys but one of them couldn’t make it and the other I guess just didn’t show up,” Coon said.
Performing in a large stadium setting can be challenging for singers. Add potential stage fright and the notorious range necessary to sing the National Anthem, and it becomes even more challenging.
Luckily for all viewing at Ironman Raceway and in 66 countries around the world, Borland and Coon have experience in that arena.
“As of lately I’ve been doing this pretty often,” Borland said. “(Performing at Ironman) is just one of those things where the Glee Club got asked to do it once. I showed up but nobody else was able to, then they just started emailing me saying, ‘Hey, can you come and do the National Anthem?’ So I was like, ‘OK!’ So, I kind of got grandfathered into it, but I appreciate it.”
Coon has performed in large arenas before, as well.
“I’ve actually sang the National Anthem before at an event,” he said. “My show choir sang at a Pacers Game.”
As for the range, Borland said it must be taken in stride.
“We don’t normally set it up as a key, so we’re gonna set the first one up as an E and then just go from there,” he said. “Most of our four-part renditions are super set up there, and that’s what’s been so challenging about it, is that range at the top of the song.”
Borland and Coon, who were warned that spectators could “boo” due to political unrest, instead received nothing but applause before the opening race began.
