Fans enjoy festivities before finals Stacy Clardie The Journal Gazette - FortWayne.com

Not everyone was following the organized set-up inside Spiece Fieldhouse, which had eight courts labeled for specific purposes for its Girls State Finals Fan Fest.

On one court assigned for layups, youngsters were launching shots with moms and dads rebounding.

On another, a senior citizen was going granny-style on free throws.

A cow was playing defense on another â€" the Chik-fil-A mascot doing its best to entertain the kids.

But no one seemed to be complaining.

Spiece Fieldhouse wasn’t packed Friday night, but there was a steady flow for its first Fan Fest event. Toddlers rumbled, teenagers roamed and parents followed.

All seemed to enjoy it.

“I’ve done everything, but we’re going to do it all over again because it was really fun,” said 12-year-old Emilia Miles, a Fort Wayne resident who stuck to the assigned plan and hit all the different courts and their stations.

Miles had just hit some three-pointers on Court 2, drawing several “woo-hoos” and a high-five from a couple watching. She said the group she came with arrived at the fieldhouse before the official event start time of 6 p.m. â€" it lasted until 8 p.m. â€" to get a good parking spot. She thought it was a great way to start state weekend.

“We’re cheering for the (Bishop Luers) Knights,” Miles said. “We bought our tickets really early. We’re going to watch everybody.”

She isn’t the only one excited about today.

Class 3A No. 1 Rushville, which will play Concordia tonight, had a bus pull up to the fieldhouse just before 6 p.m. Once inside, players bounced from court to court, shooting three-pointers, doing agility drills and even pulling off their bulky letterman jackets to try a couple of dunks on a shorter hoop.

Kaleigh Andrews was sweaty after about an hour, saying she’d been “working hard out there.” One of her teammates said she felt like she was going to pass out after doing the agility drill, which included dribbling through cones, shooting weighted balls, stepping through a ladder, doing push-ups and then sprints. But later she was spotted dancing to the music being pumped throughout the gym.

Andrews and teammate Krista Beaman said they’d been to Spiece multiple times for tournaments when they were younger, and Beaman said it felt like “coming back home” to be there Friday night.

They were happy to have a chance to relax before the pressure of today. Beaman even snagged a cute Vera Bradley notepad, prompting her to say she was “a fan” of the prizes.

“It’s fun,” Andrews said. “It’s a worry-free place, especially when you’re with your team.”

But it just wasn’t the teams filing into Fort Wayne for the tournament. Andrews said she expected 2,000 fans from Rushville.

That means big business for the community as well.

Dan O’Connell, director of the Fort-Wayne Allen County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the event is expected to generate between $300,000 and $400,000 for the community.

While it will attract nearly 20,000 people, the vast majority â€" up to 80 percent â€" are expected to be local, he said. But that still means a few thousand people will be in town booking hotel rooms and dining at restaurants.

The event will also draw parents and fans from across Indiana â€" many who likely haven’t visited the Summit City before, giving the community a showcase opportunity.

“I bet many of these people have not had the cause to come to Fort Wayne as fans,” he said. “We’re trying to show we appreciate them coming and visiting our city.”

Mayor Tom Henry showed his support for local teams Friday by attending pep rallies at Bishop Luers and Concordia and presenting each school a proclamation.

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