Austintown fifth-graders sing national anthem at tonight's Phantom's game

YOUNGSTOWN

Austintown had two reasons to be proud Friday during the Youngstown Phantoms’ game with Sioux Falls at the Covelli Centre.

First, there were the 120 students from the Fifth Grade Choir at Austintown Middle School, who were definitely on their game when it came to singing the national anthem before the puck drop.

“I’m excited but nervous,” said Ryan Wilt. “It’s cool to be singing for the Phantoms.”

He, Connor Reid and Dawson Sandlin like to sing, even the national anthem — Dawson doesn’t think it’s a hard song, even though those high notes in it are notoriously high.

The three say the Phantoms game is the first event they’ve ever sung for, and they’d practiced a lot.

“We start at the beginning of school with the Star Spangled Banner,” said choir director Dan Forsberg. “It’s part of our daily warmup.”

“Our big annual thing,” he continued, “is going down to PNC Park in May to sing for the Pirates.”

For Vince Colaluca, superintendent of Austintown schools, the national anthem was a proud moment. As president of Austintown Rotary Club, he had another reason to be proud.

Read what that was in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.