Fans go out to watch KHSAA girl’s Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - March Madness has arrived in Lexington.

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association girls’ Sweet 16 got underway at Rupp Arena Wednesday night. Several teams battled it out for a chance at the state title, and fans were there to support them.

We talked with George Rogers Clark and Mercer County fans before their 6 p.m. game.

While Mercer County fans didn’t get the win they were hoping for, fans of both teams were just enthused to be there showing these high school women athletes how much their communities support them.

Many say they couldn’t think of a better way to spend International Women’s Day than empowering a generation of young women.

“As a GRC graduate some many years ago, I’m excited to support both of them,” said GRC fan Jeannie Gwynne.

“To support our girls. And to show my children what their potential can be and what they can actually do,” Mercer County fan Carrington Yates. “I have a fifth grader and an eighth grader, and this is our legacy at Mercer County. We wanted to be able to keep the tradition strong and represent.”

Carrington Yate’s daughter Phoenix is on the middle school team now.

“We play for Mercer County basketball, and we came to support our girls,” said Phoenix.

A no-brainer for the Yates family to come out to Rupp and cheer on the Mercer County girls as they face off against GRC in the Sweet Sixteen. Win or lose; it was important for Yates and her girls to be there.

“It’s very important,” said Carrington. “We come from a small town, so a small town can come to a big city. Showing women can do anything they put their minds to.”

It’s a message that transcends team affiliation or school spirit. It’s an immense show of support for these women athletes and an inspiration to every woman there cheering them on Wednesday night.

“They deserve just as much credit as boys,” said GRC fan Jennifer Windburn. “It doesn’t matter. Today, we empower women, so definitely support them even more.”

This is also the first time Frederick Douglass girls have played in the Sweet 16.

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