While sporting events at all levels nationwide open with the singing of the “Star Spangled Banner,” the performance before a girls basketball playoff game between Austin High and Vandegrift had a unique feel to it.
Before she helped the Maroons reel off a 53-37 victory over the Vipers, Austin senior shooting guard and team captain Eleanor Bangle dazzled players, coaches and fans on both sides with her stirring rendition of the national anthem.
Instead of joining her teammates in line to face the flag before tip-off, Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported, Bangle reached for the mic and led the crowd in honoring the country in song. The Austin High Girls Basketball Twitter account captured the moment on video.
"We ready…Sang (sic) Eleanor!" the program said in a tweet.
According to KVUE, the video logged more than 1,000 views and was favorited 16 times as of Feb. 15.
As Bangle started on the last line of the anthem, the crowd could be heard signaling their approval of her performance.
Austin Independent School District trustee Arati Singh shared the sentiments on social media.
“Why (sic) to go, Eleanor!! And congrats to the Lady Maroons for your big win tonight!!” Singh tweeted.
Maroons head coach Emerald Amen told Southern Living that the players elected Bangle their team captain because she epitomizes the program’s “heart and spirit.”
"She does everything that a coach loves out of a player, especially a senior captain," Amen said, according to Southern Living. "When she sings for us, all of us get the feels. For me as a coach, it's hard not to cry."
The Maroons’ victory over Vandegrift earned the team a subsequent matchup on Feb. 17 against San Antonio Brandeis, which it also won.
Alamo City Hoops reported that Austin High has a regionals date with Cibolo Steele on Feb. 22.