By Dave Toplikar
Lawrence Journal-World Staff Writer

They boogied in the streets.

They set what must be a world record for slapping palms in high-fives, they climbed lightpoles, they chugged beer, twined toilet paper in tree limbs and howled at the nearly full moon.

At 10:09 p.m., the moment of victory over Oklahoma, Kansas fans streamed over Lawrence and the KU campus shouting "we're No. 1."

Nobody argued. By beating the Oklahoma Sooners 83-79 in Kansas City, Mo.'s Kemper Arena, behind a stifling second-half defense and Danny Manning's 31 points and 18 rebounds, KU's men's team owned a national basketball championship, and that was reason to celebrate. As one poster shouted, it was "KU's Manningfest Destiny."

Jayhawk Boulevard put on a party Monday night that lasted until nearly 3 a.m. today. It may have been the noisiest night in Lawrence history. And it seemed almost everybody took part.

Horns were honking all over the city. Stored-up fireworks from the Fourth of July burst into view north, west, south and east. But, it was on Mount Oread that the celebration centered.

KU's police estimated in excess of 30,000 ecstatic Jayhawk fans strutted, cruised and strolled the campus in a victory bash that required no invitation.

At the intersection of Jayhawk Boulevard and Sunflower Road, a steady stream of traffic--pedestrian and vehicular--crisscrossed the campus. Revelers traded high-fives with patrol officers trying to keep order in a mass of bodies, many outfitted in KU garb.

In front of Watson Library, a crowd of students trailed a TV cameraman, running around in front of him, screaming and pointing their index fingers skyward every time he turned on the camera light.

In the street, a group of about 20 students were doing the Oklahoma shuffle and raising beer cans to the sky.

In front of Wescoe Hall, a chanting conga line snaked through the crowd.

Several students sought to get a better vantage point of the celebration, climbing the trees in front of Wescoe until there were about eight people to a tall, spindly tree, or shinnying up a lightpole.

"It was a storybook finish for the season," said William Pinkard, a Kansas City, Kan., junior who was celebrating with friends in front of Wescoe Hall. "Danny stayed on for this."

Pinkard said the Jayhawks won because "we were driven by emotion....We lost those home games for a reason...when we lost to K-State you can tell something changed," he said.

Jason Feldman, a Deerfield, Ill., freshman, was celebrating with a group of his friends by the Chi Omega fountain.

"Take the OU shuffle and stick it 'cause KU's always No. 1" he said. "We played the OU game and we beat them at the OU game."

Just then, two men who are teaching assistants for Math 101 ran up to Feldman and said, "Yes, KU is No. 1!" We're going to give him an A in math!" And then they ran by Feldman's friends asking "You want an A in math? You got one!"

The Hill radiated with national championship pride. And the campanile lit up the campus like a bright electric Big Blue beacon.

The victory popped the city open up like a bottle of champagne, running down Mount Oread and bubbling through Lawrence's neighborhoods.

Porch lights flickered in the Old West Lawrence. One man on Iowa Street was swinging a string of Christmas lights in a circle of color. Rock Chalk chants wafted through Meadowbrook's hills. The union Pacific trains passing through the city blew their whistles long and loud.

It seemed no one could stay indoors on such a warm, wild, once-in-a-lifetime night.

A spontaneous parade of cars, bikes, pedestrians and motorcycles erupted in the moonlit streets, flowing down into 23rd, Iowa and Sixth streets, eventually culminating on Massachusetts Street shortly after the game.

Fans hung out car windows, packed into pickup beds and ever rode Charleton Heston- style, standing atop car hoods.

As thousands of people poured out of their homes into the downtown, Tom Wilkerson, owner of Jayhawk Spirit Balfour House, 935 Mass. was ready for them and was printing National Championship T-shirts by the dozen.

"We told everybody we would be open after the game, right after we win," he said. "We did over a thousand dollars worth just after the game. We had people buying these before the game, because they wanted to wear them during the game. I guess they were superstitious."

Watching the nailbiter on big-screen TV's at the Eldridge Hotel's Kansas Sports Bar, KU fans showed some anxiety--but none seemed to doubt that a victory was imminent.

"Oh, it's an incredible team," yelled Jamie Zahair, a senior from Chicago, during the second half. "I think we're playing the best team we ever played in the whole tournament right now. I've never seen them play so well in my life."

He commented on the crowd, which gathered in front of the two big TV screens, chanted, cheered, stomped their feet and waved the wheat, as if they were in Allen Fieldhouse rock-chalking the 'Hawks to victory.

"Were like one big happy family. There's so much support," Zahair screamed.

During a time-out, Kevin Halsing, a Topeka junior, and three buddies from the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, huddled across a table, clasped hands and prayed three Hail Marys.

"We know, the whole house knows, that we are going to do it this year," Halsing said. "Every time that we have been in the regionals and in the finals, our house had a table. And we always pray. And we won every time. That will do it."

Anna Brous, a Kansas City, Mo., freshman, was a bit surprised at some of the emotion-packed intensity during the game.

"Some strange guy just gave me a kiss, I don't know who it is," she yelled, laughing. "The Jayhawks are awesome. The crowd is awesome. Everyone is with them. And they all know the Jayhawks are national champions."

Close to the big-screen TV, Chris Baxter, a Salina senior, clenched his fists and threw his arms high into the air.

"It was great to beat Duke man, and we're gonna win here tonight! WOOOO!" Baxter yelled. "It's destiny for the Hawks!"

With about 40 seconds to go in the game, Pat Regan, a Shawnee junior, had no doubt the Jayhawks would win. "For the next 40 seconds, Danny is going to dominate, that's all there is to it," Regan said. "I'll tell you one thing, the player of the game should be the whole KU team. The whole KU team has dominated."

With seven seconds left, Todd Krantz, a Chicago senior, was confident.

"We shut down the number one offense in the Untied States!" he screamed hoarsely. "We shut down every Final Four team that's come our way. We're going to win it. And Larry Brown, our coach, is going to stay. It's a fact. Dick Vitale is going to mop the floor in Lawrence. You know it!"

As the final ticks went off the clock, Krants took a full pitcher of beer and tossed it's contents on the gathering. People were hugging, kissing, dancing, slipping on spilled drinks and rolling around of the floor.

"I'm dreaming," Krantz said. "This is a dream."

The emotion had nearly drained Andy Bloom, a sophomore from Wake Forest, Ill. "My hands hurt, my legs are tired, my voice is cashed and we won the national championship. It is unbelievable," he screamed. "It belongs to every single person here. it belongs to the whole school. It's just incredible."

"I got to see Danny manning going out in style," said Edward Levy, a senior from Atlanta. "I've never seen anything like it. It was beautiful how Danny went out. He deserves it. And I'm proud of the school."

Susie Harding, a junior from Wilmett, Ill., was hugging everyone and screaming out her joy.

"It's the biggest game I've ever seen in my entire life. I have to admit I was a little bit hesitant," she yelled. "OU is an awesome team. But with the determination the people of Kansas have been showing I KNEW WE WERE GONNA DO IT!"

Thousands of fans who watched the game at home knew it too.

As soon as the game ended, some dashed over to the east parking lot at the Burge Union on the KU campus, where KU officials put together a celebration party.

As a rock band played and workers at a concession stand handed out free drinks, popcorn and Jayhawk caps, the crowd grew to several thousand.

One student was banging on a trash can lid in time with the music. Others formed a long chain, dancing through the crowd. Some carried balloons and flags, while others shot bottle rockets and firecrackers.

But it wasn't just the kids who got out.

"They were great! Danny Manning, we knew you could do it," yelled Carla Ramirez, 3304 W. 24th Ter. "Kevin Pritchard, you're our No.1 guy!"

Her husband, Steve Ramirez, a 1981 KU graduate, said there was never any doubt in his mind.

"I know the Hawks were going to come through," he said. "It was destiny for Danny Manning. It was destiny for the Jayhawks. We deserved to win, that's why we won...I'm not going to be in the office tomorrow. I'm going to be right down here."

Tom Gleason, an alumnus and a former Lawrence city commissioner, said "there was no one I'd rather beat...We beat the hell out of them, didn't we?" Gleason said his first memory of KU basketball was when his dad brought him up to watch Wilt Chamberlain play basketball in 1957. "I remember how tragic it was when we lost that triple overtime game and now we've overcome it and got it back," Gleason said. "There was nothing like it."

Fred DeVictor, director of the city's parks and recreation department, said he and his family watched the game at home. "I just had to get out," he said. "I can't believe all these people... It's a miracle come true. it's like the story was in place and they just had to finish the climax of it."

Dean Lebestky, who got an undergraduate degree in 1964 and a doctorate in 1971, said he's waited long years to savor such a victory. "I got here just after Wilt left," he said. "I've lived through some early years and this is fabulous. To happen to a team like this, with a player like Danny, this is fantastic."

Like most KU fans, Lebestky was confident Kansas would win it, despite the eight point advantage the oddsmakers gave Oklahoma. "If they were within three within five minutes to go, they were going to win it," he said. "And they were ahead with five minute to go."

To Lebestky, KU's victory over OU was similar to the end of a Star Wars movie. "Sometimes, the dark side of the force is defeated," he said. "It is wonderful."

The dark force has been defeated.