It’s not often that the Great Bend High School marching band yields the field to a guest singer when it’s time to perform the national anthem. But for the Oct. 15 football game, the honor went to 12-year-old Allison Muth.

The Eisenhower Grade School sixth-grader kept her poise as she sang "The Star Spangled Banner" without accompaniment, said David Meter, activities director for Unified School District 428.

"She’s just phenomenal with her singing," Meter said. He had heard her sing the national anthem for the Panthers at the Regional Bowling Tournament, and also watched as she played the part of "Chip" in the Barton Community College musical, "Beauty and the Beast."

Stephanie Muth said her daughter Allison has been taking voice and piano lessons since the third grade, and is now taking voice lessons from Tiffany Harms. She first performed "The Star Spangled Banner" at age 9 for the American Legion State Convention for nearly 500 people, and received the Commander’s Americanism Award.

She has also performed the national anthem for the Kids Federation District Wrestling Tournament, a swim invitational at Barton Community College, a Holy Family School basketball game and GBHS varsity soccer game. She’s also participated and sung at numerous community events. As a member of the Great Bend Youth Choir for the past three years, she has performed musical selections in Latin and German.

Miss Muth is the daughter of Norbert and Stephanie Muth, Great Bend, and has two younger sisters, Audrey, 9, and Abby, 6. At Eisenhower School, she has been on Student Council for the past two years and has earned the "exemplary student" rank in reading and math since third grade. She plays flute in the sixth-grade band and is also involved in volleyball, tennis and swimming.

Meter said the GBHS Band will be playing the national anthem at tonight’s home football game with Salina South, that starts at 7 p.m. Tonight is Senior Parent Recognition Night.