Anna Negron sings the National Anthem at Citi Field from ESPNFrontRow on Vimeo. On July 1, I - along with my friend and ESPN Communications colleague Taylor Garrett - headed to Queens for my very first singing performance at Citi Field. I grew up a New York Mets fan - no judgment, people. My ESPN Communciations colleagues and especially my family were elated to hear that I would be singing for the Mets. I've been singing professionally for about eight years and have performed the national anthem dozens of times for various teams, including the New York Knicks and various other events at Madison Square Garden. I've also sung before crowds at my alma mater, Seton Hall. But given my Mets history - my first internship was with the team - this opportunity was extra special. We grabbed a 2:30 p.m. train out of New Haven, Conn., and headed to the Big Apple. We made our way through Grand Central to a 7 train full of fans clad in blue and orange. The announcement “Mets-Willets Point†blared through the static-filled subway speakers. Citi Field was in sight. We ventured through the Hodges Gate and a few tunnels before stepping onto the field for my sound check. The sound delay in an outdoor stadium is anywhere between 3-5 seconds, so earplugs are always my go-to device. But Citi Field had ear monitors, so the sound check was a breeze. Rain delays eventually were the story of the night, but the start of the game was only delayed a few minutes. A voice over the sound system announced: “Please welcome first runner-up to Miss New Jersey 2015 and Seton Hall alum, Anna Negron.†There’s my cue, and the rest is history. Video produced by Taylor Garrett Here I am at the Met-Willets Point stop on the 7 train for Citi Field. The sound check took place 90 minutes before the big moment. Thunderstorms and lightning were in the forecast for the game, which ended up causing multiple rain delays during play. The sky cleared up just in time for me to sing the National Anthem.
Anna NegronJuly 6, 2016
