By Kayla Phelps

Fireworks exploded in the streets as fans celebrated UK’s eighth national championship.

As the game came to a close, people flooded the streets, jumping on each others shoulders and chanting about their passion for Big Blue Nation.

Minutes before the game ended, cops lined across Woodland and Euclid avenues to prepare for the celebration.

Lauren Bewley, a 2009 Transylvania graduate, remembered the last time UK took the championship in 1998.

“I was in middle school last time they won,” she said.

But this time it felt a little sweeter.

“I’m ecstatic,” she said.

Before 10 p.m., the bars at the intersection of Woodland and Euclid had hit capacity.

T-Bar, Cosmic Charlie’s and Lynagh’s Irish Pub stopped letting people in to watch UK sweep the national title as early as 8 p.m.

People flooded into the streets outside of T-Bar and attempted to watch the game from a distance.

“You can’t get any better than this,” said Jack Janecek, a nutrition dietetics senior. “What else can you ask for? We were here to win no matter what.”

Following Saturday’s mayhem on State Street, the Euclid-Woodland intersection remained tame, yet spirited.

“We haven’t seen too much happen,” said Lexington police Lt. C.D. Schnelle. “It has just been a partying, celebratory atmosphere.”

Schnelle said the intersection was shut down around 5 p.m. and there was no set time to reopen it.

He said everything went smoothly for the officers.

“We had a plan and stuck to it,” he said. “It has worked so far.”

As of 12:50 a.m., no one had been arrested at the intersection, he said.

Light sources were set on Euclid Avenue near University Plaza and Transylvania Avenue, illuminating the crowd as people danced their way through the streets.

Broken beer bottles, confetti and balloons were just some of the props people used to show their spirit.

A dance circle formed outside Off The Hookah and strangers embraced to techno music blasting into the streets.

Jay Lawless, an integrated strategic communication junior, said the night was something he had been waiting for since the last time UK won the national championship in 1998.

Lawless said he was 9 years old, celebrating with his family on Transylvania in ‘98.

He said his parents wouldn’t let him move to the Euclid-Woodland intersection.

“I made a promise that I would be here the next time they won,” he said.

And he was, among thousands of other fans who were celebrating the the Cats’ victory.

“I came over here for the celebration,” said Matthew Wholey, a finance junior. “Big Blue Nation really gave the support we needed to win the game.”