The Hawkeye Marching Band announces the next Golden Voice of the Hawkeye Marching Band, Bob Shomper!

University of Iowa alumnus John F. Allen (66BBA) watched from the tunnel at Kinnick Stadium as the Hawkeye Marching Band sang “Alma Mater, Iowa” before taking the field to the Iowa Fight Song. The performance, which he found even “more inspiring than the football game,” helped support Allen’s decision to make a transformational gift that would benefit all 295 members of the band.

The first-year undergraduate student is performing in her first season with the Hawkeye Marching Band as their feature twirler.

Ella McDaniel came all the way from New Hampshire to serve in the coveted role of UI Golden Girl, the Hawkeye Marching Band’s scholarship baton twirler. She enjoyed her time at Iowa so much that, after graduating with a degree in exercise science, she plans to stay on campus and work toward a Master of Science in Athletic Training.

One of the most iconic voices associated with the University of Iowa is hanging up his microphone. On Tuesday, Iowa's Marching Band public address voice announcer Lou Crist announced he would retire following the Hawkeyes' season opener against UAlbany at Kinnick Stadium on Aug. 30. Crist, dubbed the "Golden Voice of the Hawkeye Marching Band," has been the voice for the marching band since 1981. The university shared his decision in a video on YouTube.

Ella McDaniel leads the Hawkeye Marching Band as its Golden Girl, the main featured twirler. She’s finishing her fourth and final season leading HMB. She grew up dreaming of doing this, starting twirling after seeing a group of twirlers at a dance recital at four years old. “I saw the twirlers and I was obviously just so amazing at what they were doing,” said McDaniel. “I had no idea what was happening, but I knew I wanted to do it, and spend my life doing it.”