This outcome of this year’s Kansas vs. Kansas State football game was hours away, but Jayhawks were putting a beating on the Wildcats during this year’s Homecoming Parade at Kansas University.

In the spirit of competition, a beat-up Wildcat or two appeared among the parade’s prominent features, which included bands, floats, an Olympian, and of course, Jayhawks.

“I loved the bands and the floats,” said Becky Batman, a 1997 KU graduate, who watched the parade with her husband, Clint Batman, and their two daughters, Savannah, 4, and Ashton, 13 months. “I thought they all did a great job.”

“Of course, my daughters loved the candy,” Becky Batman said, referring to the goodies tossed to the crowd by those participating in the parade.

More than a dozen floats decorated with colorful pieces of paper and plastic made into Jayhawks and miniature campus buildings, were driven or towed along Jayhawk Boulevard through the center of campus.

KU’s band, the Marching Jayhawks, led the parade along with this year’s grand marshal, Charlie Gruber, a KU alumnus who competed in the 1,500-meter track and field event at the 2004 Summer Olympic games.

Rickesha Scott, Lawrence, said she always enjoyed the parade, but had a special interest in watching this year because her 5-year-old daughter, Keyara Scott-Walker, was riding in the parade. Keyara had been selected as the KU Black Student Union’s princess.

Still dressed in her white robe after the parade, Keyara was more interested in unwrapping a piece of bubble gum than commenting on her experience. Also watching the parade was Keyara’s older sister, Teresa Scott, a senior at Kansas State University.

Although the family intended to watch Saturday night’s football game between KU and K-State, Teresa didn’t expect an in-house civil war to develop.

The float Follow

“We’ll keep the peace,” she said with a laugh.

KU freshmen Jenny Ries, Burnsville, Ill., and Megan Lewis, Spencer, Iowa, considered the parade an enjoyable time-filler while waiting to do some tailgating in the stadium parking lot before the game. They were impressed with the KU alumni band.

“Those old guys, they were so cute and so good,” Lewis said.