Meet the national anthem singers at the Men’s and Women’s Final Fours — and the DII Men’s Basketball Championship
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Before tipoff at the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Fours, a handful of student-athletes traded their lanes, fields and courts for a microphone.
With Indianapolis hosting four men’s postseason championships in one week for the first time in college basketball history, this year’s national anthem singers also included a student-athlete ahead of the Division II Men’s Basketball Championship at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Known for their achievements in their sports, these student-athletes also took the spotlight to perform the national anthem on one of college basketball’s biggest stages.
Learn more about each of them below.
Women’s Final Four singer
Ava Commer, Grand Canyon swimming and diving
A junior from Anthem, Arizona, Commer competes in breaststroke and freestyle events for the Lopes. She transferred to Grand Canyon after her freshman season at Barton, where she earned Freshman of the Year honors. Off the pool deck, Commer has performed the national anthem at NBA and WNBA games in Phoenix. She added the NCAA Women’s Final Four to her singing resume, performing Friday before the first semifinal game.
Men’s Final Four singers
In a long-standing Final Four tradition, four student-athletes — each representing one of the Men’s Final Four teams — came together to perform the national anthem before the semifinal games Saturday night in Indianapolis.
MJ Neilson, Arizona swimming and diving
A sophomore freestyle and butterfly swimmer from Phoenix, Neilson attended Horizon High School and swam for the Phoenix Swim Club before arriving in Tucson. In her freshman season, she was a two-time Big 12 Championships finalist in the 100 and 200 butterfly, swimming three personal bests at the conference championships. She finished third in the 200 butterfly at the 2026 Big 12 Championships. Earlier this year, Neilson performed the national anthem at an Arizona softball game.
Chloe Trudel, UConn cross country/track and field
A senior captain from Amherst, New Hampshire, Trudel has run cross country and track in all four of her seasons as a Husky. She earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Academic All-America honors in 2026. She is currently ranked No. 41 nationally in the 10,000 meters and finished fourth in that event at the 2025 Big East Conference Championships.
Claire Taylor, Michigan field hockey
A graduate student from West Simsbury, Connecticut, Taylor recently completed her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and is currently pursuing a master’s of management at Michigan. A stalwart in the Wolverines’ backfield, she has started more than 60 games and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2025. She also earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition three times.
Mia Zenere, Illinois women’s basketball
A sophomore guard from Mokena, Illinois, Zenere joined the Fighting Illini in 2024 as a walk-on and is majoring in interdisciplinary health sciences. She has played in 16 games in her first two seasons at Illinois. In high school, she was a three-time Independent High School Gold Division national champion, a team captain and a 2024 McDonald’s All-American nominee.
DII Men’s Basketball Championship singer
Indianapolis hosting four men’s postseason championships in one weekend created something new: a student-athlete national anthem performer at the Division II Men’s Basketball Championship. The role went to a local voice with deep Indiana ties.
Addie Marshall, Monmouth women’s soccer
A goalkeeper from Franklin, Indiana, Marshall spent four seasons at Butler before she transferred to Monmouth for the 2026 season. She came to Butler after a standout prep career that included reaching the 2019 Elite Club National League Final Four and the 2021 ECNL Champions League National Finals with FC Pride.
