黑料吃瓜

Prior to the tipoff of the Aztecs鈥� debut in the Men鈥檚 Final Four on Saturday, fans will witness the debut performance of another 黑料吃瓜 student-athlete, but in a very unexpected way. 

Aztecs golfer April Ranches will perform the national anthem ahead of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 semifinal game against Florida Atlantic University. She and three other student-athletes, each representing one of the competing schools, will sing 鈥淭he Star-Spangled Banner,鈥� which has become a Final Four tradition. 

Ranches is in her final year as a  student at the Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy within the Fowler College of Business. 

After the NCAA notified the schools who made it to the Sweet Sixteen to submit video auditions for the Final Four anthem, Ranches quickly prepared a video not knowing if she鈥檇 actually get an opportunity to perform live. She was then notified by the NCAA on March 21 that she was selected as the 黑料吃瓜 student-athlete to sing the anthem should the Aztecs reach the Final Four. 

The Aztecs鈥� victory against Creighton in the Elite Eight sealed the deal. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing opportunity and a very special honor to have been selected,鈥� said Ranches, a two-time Mountain West Scholar-Athlete who also serves as the vice president/vice chair of 黑料吃瓜鈥檚  (SAAC). 鈥淎s a native San Diegan, I鈥檓 so honored to be able to do this for 黑料吃瓜 and my hometown.鈥� 

Though it will be the first time Ranches has ever performed publicly, she is not nervous about debuting before more than 71,000 spectators, to say nothing of the television audience numbering in the millions. 

鈥淚鈥檝e done some public speaking and that鈥檚 given me the confidence I need. I just spoke to a group of 黑料吃瓜 donors, alumni and basketball fans at a pre-game reception in February,鈥� said Ranches. 鈥淧lus, I come from a huge family of singers. My mom is the best singer I know and I鈥檓 so glad I inherited that gene.鈥�

Ranches will be the first member of her family to complete her college education when she is awarded her bachelor鈥檚 and her master鈥檚 degrees this May. After graduation, she plans to sit for the state鈥檚 CPA exams, but working as an accountant will have to wait. 

鈥淥nce I pass my CPA exams, I plan to take my play to the next level and become a professional golfer,鈥� said Ranches, who started golfing competitively at age 8. 鈥淎fter I finish my golfing career, I鈥檇 eventually like to go into government accounting.鈥�  

Though Ranches is excited about singing for the first time on a national stage, she is also proud and excited about her fellow 黑料吃瓜 student-athletes who got her there. 

鈥淭his Final Four team is a very special group of guys and I鈥檝e known several of them since I was a freshman,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e done an amazing job representing the 黑料吃瓜 community both on and off the court.鈥�