A split-second decision at Saturday’s Kansas University football game left KU sophomore David Doeren $1,000 richer.

The Topeka business major had a game ticket and was planning to walk into Memorial Stadium with his grandfather, a season-ticket holder.

A giant flag in the shape of the United States is unfurled for the Star Spangled Banner before Kansas University's kickoff against Southwest Missouri State. The game also featured a giveaway of 25 ,000 scholarships to selected KU students.

At the last minute, he opted to let a friend who wasn’t familiar with the stadium go in with his grandpa while he sprinted to the south end of the horseshoe and used his KU First T-shirt to gain free admission.

Lucky move.

Doeren’s mere position in line was enough to secure him one of 25 $1,000 tuition scholarships awarded by the KU Endowment Association at the Jayhawks’ home opener against Southwest Missouri State University.

“If I’d have been a split-second later,” Doeren said, shuddering at the thought. “It’s just kind of ironic that I ended up using my free shirt.”

To qualify for the giveaway, students had to wear the KU First shirts, which were given away on KU’s four campuses. KU First: Invest in Excellence is the name of the largest fund-raising campaign in university history.

Winners were selected from pre-chosen seats and numerically from among those entering the gates. The scholarships were made possible by a $25,000 gift to the Endowment Association from Dick and Jeanne Tinberg of Leawood.

Seventeen of the scholarship recipients were from Kansas, four from other states and three from foreign countries. They ranged from freshmen to graduate students, and at least one was a medical student.

Their reactions to the news were as varied as their bios, Endowment spokesman John Scarffe said. A few shed tears. Others marveled at their fortuitous last-minute decisions to attend the game.

“A lot of times, their real reaction would come after they’d leave and their friends would be waiting for them,” Scarffe said. “They’d hoop and holler and give high fives.”

Winner Trista Hostin’s joyful reaction came after a brief moment of fear. The prize patrol first pulled aside her boyfriend, who was wearing a KU First T-shirt but goes to school at Kansas State University. As next-in-line, Hostin got the money her boyfriend couldn’t have.

“I thought they were just going to give it to someone else,” said Hostin, a Shawnee sophomore in elementary education. “But then they gave it to me. I was pretty excited.”

¢ Scholarship winners list

Recipient Matthew Longsine, a Yakima, Wash., junior in architectural engineering, said the scholarship would cover about a fifth of his out-of-state tuition. He called his parents from the game to share the good news.

“I said that I won, and after they get the credit they could hand it over,” he said. “I think they will. They’re cool about stuff like that.”