Jovi Garcia doesn’t really get nervous when she sings in front of crowds – she’s used to it, as she’s sung the national anthem at Wichita Wind Surge baseball games and at several high school sporting events, including wrestling and basketball games.

The Maize High School senior will sing the national anthem at the Rumble on the River football game against Maize South High School on Friday, Sept. 29 at Wichita’s Riverfront Stadium.

“I’m really excited,” Garcia said. “I love that stadium.”

Garcia said she started singing when she was young, and, at first, it was humming little tunes to her family and singing along to the radio. She did pageants for a while and then started taking lessons with a vocal coach.

Garcia is involved in choir, the dance team, and serves on Maize Superintendent Dr. Raquel Greer’s Superintendent Student Advisory Team. Garcia said she enjoys the different types of music she gets to sing while in choir, including pop, jazz, and musical theater songs.

“Choir is very fun,” Garcia said. “We don't just stand around and sing, we add our own choreography and style to it, which makes it more entertaining.”

Garcia, who also is co-captain of the Maize High School dance team, will join her teammates to perform with the Maize South dance team on Friday night. The two teams have been practicing together for the performance.

And the Maize High School dance team has grown from five girls in Garcia’s freshman year to 13 girls this year, something that Garcia is proud of.

“It’s amazing to see the growth,” Garcia said.

Garcia said she is working on her college applications and isn’t sure yet where she wants to go. She said she’s applying to about 20 schools and wants to pursue music in college and minor in psychology. She’s also thinking about going into teaching.  

“The competition is just crazy,” Garcia said of the pre-screening process for vocal performance programs in schools across the country. “Every school has their own requirements to get into programs, and it’s very stressful and overwhelming. I’m trying to do that and to make the most of my senior year at the same time.”

The Eagles and the Mavericks kick off at 7 p.m. at Riverfront Stadium, 275 S. McLean Blvd. in Wichita.

See the Rumble on the River newsletter for more information about the game.