EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT)- Wrestling fans across Indiana continue to flood downtown Evansville, as the Ford Center hosts the 86th Indiana High School Athletic Association’s Wrestling State Finals.
Brandon Shelhart says Evansville has a different vibe than Gainbridge Fieldhouse up in Indianapolis, where the state finals have been held over the past several years. Evansville is playing host to the state finals because the NBA All-Star Game is taking over the fieldhouse.
Even though Shelhart and his family drove more than four hours from their northwest Indiana home to watch the finals, he is giving the Ford Center a thumbs-up.
“I like how small everything is, so when it gets real loud, it is a little bit more intense. The drive is like a mini vacation. It is not a big deal at all,” Shelhart says.
Alicien Stevens and Lillianna Jansen are from Beech Grove and had to drive only two and a half hours.
“It was kind of a pain. the drive was really long. I feel like it is better at Gainbridge because it’s pretty much centralized for everybody to travel there, so it is more convenient,” they said.