ASHWAUBENON (WAOW) -
The first day of the girls state basketball tournament is wrapped up. Fans and athletes are getting a different experience this year.
This is the first time the tournament has been held outside
of Madison and there was an energizing atmosphere at the Resch Center.
"We're all excited, we're pumped," Newman Catholic
High School student Lee
Peterson said.
Players hit the court and fans took to the stands, for day
one of the girls' state basketball tournament.
This year is a little different. The tournament is taking
place in the Green Bay area, instead of in Madison.
"This is a whole new, unique atmosphere," Robin
Newman of Wisconsin Rapids
told Newsline 9.
Officials say it's not only unique, but also convenient.
"People that maybe never had the opportunity to make the
trip to state, maybe now can," WIAA Associate Director Deb Hauser said.
Organizers estimate the tournament will bring as much as
three million dollars to the Green Bay
area.
"It kind of gives me goose bumps. I put a lot of time
and planning into getting this event going. The teams are excited. Everyone
seems to like the atmosphere here," Hauser said.
Players from Central Wisconsin
kicked it all off.
"Looking in the stands, it looks like there are a lot
of people from Wisconsin Rapids and Wausau here and I'm
trilled," Hauser told Newsline 9.
Electric was the word of the day as Assumption battled Newman
catholic. Fans say seeing their teams play so close to home was an incredible
experience.
"It's amazing. It's so compact. Because we're a smaller
school, so it feels like there are more people here," Peterson said.
Assumption would dominate Newman Catholic throughout the
entire game. But fans say outcome aside, they enjoyed experiencing the state
tournament at the Resch
Center for the very first
time.
The final score was Assumption 60 to Newman Catholic's 37.
