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KU couple cruises at Tonganoxie Days race

By Benton Smith - | Jun 18, 2008

Benton Smith

Levi Huseman grins as he nears the end of the Friends of the Library 5K Run on Saturday morning. Huseman, a Tonganoxie High grad who now runs at Kansas University, was the first to cross the finish line in front of the Tonganoxie Public Library.

When the 240 participants of the 21st Annual Friends of the Library 10K run and 5K run/walk gathered at the starting line Saturday morning on Bury Street, little did some of them know there was a pair of ringers in their midst.

But the gig was up a little more than 20 minutes later as the first male crossed the finish line and the first female came in less than a minute behind him.

Twenty minutes and six seconds after the race began, Levi Huseman, a 2005 Tonganoxie High graduate, was the first runner to complete the 5K course.

Local boy does good? Not so fast.

The former Chieftain, as most everyone at the race actually knew, happens to be a distance runner at Kansas University.

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Justin Soetaert finished the 5K run second overall with a time of 20:13.

“I was expecting to win,” Huseman said with no signs of fatigue seconds after finishing.

The 20-year-old said he comes back to run in the Tonganoxie Days race despite his NCAA athletic prowess because he and his family are from here and it is a nice way to lightly practice and stay fit.

“My parents like it when I run here,” Huseman said.

It was a pleasant morning for a run with the temperature just around 70. Huseman, who jogged at the beginning of the race, wasn’t out front the whole way, but toward the end he picked it up. He said the best part of the race, though, was running with his girlfriend, another KU runner whose NCAA eligibility just ran out.

Alicia McGregor, who ran cross country as well as 3K, 5K and 10K events for the Jayhawks before recently graduating, was the first woman to complete the course, finishing in 21:08.

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Nicole Zerrer, 10, finished the 5K race in 30:57.

Like Huseman, McGregor, 22, said the highlight of the race was running it together.

“Just being able to run with Levi for the first half” was the highlight, she said, adding with a laugh that it took “probably about 10 seconds” for Huseman to get out in front of her.

McGregor, who has been dating the THS alum for about eight months, said Huseman and his family run in the race every year and invited her to join them.

It was the first time the couple had ever ran in the same race, and McGregor said it was a good workout.

“It was a great course,” the Independence, Mo., native said. “There were some good hills, some nice, soft downhills. It was fun.”

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Gad Huseman, 8, finished the 5K race 26th overall with a time of 27:23.

She said it was a nice change from the rigors of competing at the NCAA level.

“It’s a lot more laid back. Everybody’s really vocal,” she said of the support being shouted by patrons on the Tonganoxie streets and sidewalks. “NCAA is more intense.”

Of course there were plenty of others runners receiving those same cheers. Justin Soetaert, 15 of Tonganoxie, was the second runner to cross the finish line at the 20:13 mark.

Steve Riley, 54, was the first runner to complete the 10K trek with a time of 38:56. Justin Smith, 29, finished second in that race, coming in at 39:18.

10K Run

Name, age, time

1. Steve Riley, 54, 38:56

2. Justin Smith, 29, 39:18

3. Douglas Kieweg, 33, 41:24

4. William Hudnall, 45, 41:52

5. Jeff Behrens, 59, 42:49

6. William Eakin, 49, 43:48

7. Mike Frye, 47, 44:42

8. Jake Gontesky, 30, 45:05

9. Terry Slocum, 56, 45:51

10. Tom Geyer, 49, 46:24

11. Robert Brotherton, 16, 47:29

12. William Mages, 48, 50:41

13. Biff Blankinship, 32, 52:25

14. Greg DeVeau, 43, 53:36

15. Brandy Vance, 23, 55:56

16. Kelly Gontesky, 28, 56:04

17. Herb Brown, 70, 56:48

18. Bill Walker, 48, 58:34

19. Robert Lyons, 51, 59:25

20. Teresa Lyons, 47, 60:12

21. John Mills, 28, 61:14

22. Lisa Rausch, 27, 61:46

23. Laura Dornak, 30, 61:47

24. Pam Slawson, 48, 63:07

25. Christina Ricketts, 25, 63:11

26. Stan Ricketts, 54, 64:46

27. Alexa Ferguson, 35, 65:09

28. Jill Rogers, 32, 65:20

29. Desiree Estes, 29, 66:32

30. Toni Blankenship, 32, 66:41

31. Lisa Shryock, 32, 67:17

32. Sue Walker, 41, 67:24

33. Ann Nelson, 72, 67:28

34. Jan Popek, 50, 68:27

35. Patricia Nott, 65, 69:59

36. Susan Olander, 52, 1:11:54

37. Diana Bahr, 62, 1:11:55

38. Chris Miller, 57, 1:19:50

39. Garrett French, 11, 1:20:21

40. Reann French, 39, 1:20:26

5K Run

Name, age, time

1. Levi Huseman, 20, 20:06

2. Justin Soetaert, 14, 20:13

3. Alicia McGregor, 22, 21:08

4. Thomas Powell, 23, 22:04

5. Hunter Samuels, 21, 22:48

6. Zane Morgan, 39, 23:00

7. Jeanie Reams, 18, 23:03

8. Ben Field, 17, 23:14

9. Phil Williams, 58, 23:21

10. Asher Huseman, 10, 23:25

11. Wally Brawner, 68, 23:30

12. Eugene Wren, 67, 23:31

13. Daniel Page, 28, 23:39

14. Keith Slater, 15, 23:44

15. Brady Field, 14, 23:49

16. Jack Angell, 37, 23:50

17. Ashley Crane, 24, 24:16

18. Mike Neal ,58, 24:30

19. Jack Dale, 10, 25:50

20. Sheryl Stemmons, 31, 25:57

21. Becky Wolfe, 33, 25:57

22. Jill Kietzmann, 38, 26:10

23. Keri Barstow, 24, 26:23

24. Matt Dohrn, 31, 26:42

25. Emily Soetaert, 11, 27:02

26. Gad Huseman, 8, 27:23

27. Zeb Huseman, 8, 27:49

28. Jim Lourentzos, 57, 27:55

29. Megan Zerrer, 12, 28:02

30. Tina Wright, 44, 28:08

31. Kirby Clark, 70, 28:21

32. Julie Bissitt, 37, 28:26

33. Tracey Turner, 38, 28:27

34. Terri Huseman, 47, 28:49

35. Madison Weller, 21, 29:00

36. Mitchell Mellott, 62, 29:15

37. Gene Field, 43, 29:29

38. Kevin Johnson, 30, 29:36

39. Dani Cooper, 33, 29:41

40. Kristan VanMiddlesworth, 31, 29:44

41. Amy Bichelmeyer, 36, 30:11

42. Nicole Zerrer, 10, 30:57

43. Debbie Zerrer, 37, 31:05

44. Cole Reams, 9, 31:26

45. Ashley Weller, 24, 31:27

46. Jacob Tolletson, 9, 31:37

47. John Tolletson, 45, 31:45

48. Annie Holton, 12, 32:00

49. Aly Bartholomew, 12, 32:03

50. Bill Kinnersley, 64, 32:03

51. Tom Lobb, 65, 33:33

52. Kathy Walker, 58, 33:41

53. Arlene Slocum, 53, 33:43

54. Annabelle Frese, 12, 34:00

55. Stephanie Black, 33, 34:58

56. Dennis Leslee, 39, 34:59

57. Brenda Hough, 39, 35:29

58. Lindsey Starcher, 25, 35:45

59. Christina Johnson, 30, 35:50

60. Shelly Gray, 29, 36:06

61. Lacey Samien, 28, 36:06

62. Diana Weaver, 49, 36:59

63. David Frese, 39, 37:08

64. Madison Reams, 7, 39:04

65. Kennedy Morey, 10, 40:17

66. Spencer Dale, 35, 40:31

67. Elizabeth Miller, 49, 41:16

68. Julie Tolletson, 44, 42:15

69. Sherri Lagoski, 50, 43:10

70. Vicki Brawner, 57, 50:07

71. Marsha Wren, 65, 50:08

72. Al Pursell, 79, 52:53

73. Skyler Freeman, 9, 53:50

74. Eileen Jesmer, 52, 56:20

75. Maryann Huhn, 55, 56:21

76. Barbara Dale, 65, 56:50

5K Walk

Jeanie Williams, Debbie Breuer, Beth Crews, Abigail Frye, Jan Morey, Ray Morgan, Dottie Skelley, Paul Skelley, Dana Skelley, Sandy Carter, Katie Snyder, Jared Ward, Brenda Ward, Brianna Ward, Preston Ward, Melva Morgan, Chris Hahn, Lana Eisman, Lana Leach, Jack Freeman, Doug Freeman, Ian Slater, Rhonda Freeman, Polly Slater.