Star-Struck Young Girls Crowd Festival

Someday, 8-year-old Genevieve Ireland might walk across the campus at Cal Lutheran University as a student, swim in the envisioned aquatic center, or crack open a book on sports medicine. On Sunday, however, all she was interested in studying were two petite television stars hidden behind a mob of fans.

The Fields of Dreams Family Festival was a one-day event celebrating ambitious plans for expanded athletic fields and other sports facilities at the Olsen Road campus in Thousand Oaks.

But, more important to Genevieve, the festivities were also studded with kids’ games, climbing equipment and a visit from twin teen actresses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, whose marketing phenomenon includes television shows, movies, videos, CDs, magazines and a forthcoming cartoon.

Genevieve was among hundreds of girls who waited in line, and occasionally pushed forward, for a chance to meet the Olsens and sign up to have autographed photos mailed to them.

The young Thousand Oaks resident even hopped up on an adult friend’s shoulders, to no avail.

“I was trying to see if I could see them, but I couldn’t,” Genevieve said. “I think they’re really cool and nice and pretty. I’m willing to wait a long time.”

Family friend Mareque Steele wasn’t quite as sure after nearly an hour of waiting. “A riot could start out among these 8-year-old girls,” she said.

John McLeod braved the line for his 11-year-old daughter, Brooke, and felt the brush of teeny-bopper admiration firsthand.

“It was crazy,” McLeod said.

When the stars’ handlers announced they would only meet and greet for 15 more minutes, McLeod could feel the pressure of hundreds of little girls desperate to get to the front before the Olsens were whisked away.

Event organizers said the star power added some fun to the celebration of the private university’s $29-million athletic facilities project that will include tennis courts, soccer fields and a gymnasium with individual classrooms for students who study sports medicine.

Saturday night, university officials hosted a gala for donors, and on Sunday they estimated that 5,000 people came and basked in the warm sun, played games and caught a glimpse of the campus and the athletic facilities proposal.

“This is my first visit here. It’s very festive,” said Lisa Solmor of Oak Park, who brought her 3-year-old son, Joseph.

“It’s a good introduction to the place.”