If you've been to a Hawkeye athletic event over the last four years, chances are good that you've seen Nils Thorson perform. Not as an athlete, but as the guy who sings the national anthem before the start of the game.

Thorson will graduate this weekend with majors in marketing and management information systems from the Tippie College of Business, but his greatest memories will come from the athletic field. During his four years, Thorson has performed The Star-Spangled Banner more than 100 times for every Hawkeye team but football.

He started singing the anthem as a high school student in Minneapolis and continued the tradition when he came to the university. He says his biggest thrills came during this year's men's basketball season, when fans flowed back to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to cheer on the resurgent team and filled the place with energy and anticipation.

But he says that no matter the game or the attendance, he always gave it his all every time he sang it.

And, for those who've never had the chance to see him perform,Thorson will sing the anthem one final time for the UI at the Tippie College of Business undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 18, at 5 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.