Kappa Kappa Gamma rides to remember Crouse

Some things are bigger than sport.\nFor an entire year, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority's primary focus rested on winning its second consecutive Little 500. That was until a gray Honda station wagon collided with a red Jeep Cherokee right outside the Kappa house late Monday evening. Kappa sorority member and former Little 500 teammate Ashley Crouse was in the backseat of the Jeep. She was pronounced dead early Tuesday morning.\nSuddenly, for the Kappas, the Little 500 couldn't be more secondary.\nAfter the news of their friend's passing settled in, seniors Meredith Horner and Kelsey Cooper, junior Jess Sapp and sophomore Caroline Andrew gathered to discuss whether or not they should ride in the race. In the end, the decision wasn't made based on any of them. It was made based on what Crouse would have wanted.\n"I don't think we ever would have quit because Ashley wouldn't want us to," Horner said.\nIn the Crouse family, April doesn't mean spring -- it means Little 500. Ashley's brother Charlie Crouse rode last year for Phi Gamma Delta, and Ashley tried riding for Kappa her freshman year. \n"Her learning the basics was fun to watch," Horner said with a smile. "She was so funny and charismatic."\nCrouse decided against staying on the bike after getting involved with other organizations including leadership positions with IU Dance Marathon and the IU Student Association. But her love of the event never ceded. \n"Every time there was a series event, I think she was more excited than we were," Sapp said. \nCrouse began to make a habit of leaving little notes of encouragement for her former teammates. Horner described every note as "really encouraging and very positive -- just like she was."\nCrouse and Sapp shared a class together, and when Sapp fell ill and missed Miss-N-Out just a week ago, Crouse made Sapp's health her priority.\n"(Crouse) said, 'Don't go to class, I'll get you the notes, I'll let you know of anything that's going on. You need to rest up for biking,'" Sapp said. \nLater today, when Kappa takes the track, they will sport their own encouraging note reading "A.L.C." -- Crouse's initials. There will also be a moment of silence held before the race, and Kappa, along with friends and family, will be wearing blue ribbons to recognize their lost friend.\n"We'll always have in our minds that she would be supporting us," Horner said. "We'll have another little angel with us that day."\nA lot has changed in a week. The team in the best position to win this year's Little 500 suddenly doesn't really care about that anymore.\nSome things are bigger than sport.\n"It's tough because we know she would be the first one down at the track for the team cheering them on," Charlie Crouse said. "It's unfortunate she won't be there, but we know her spirit will be down with that team."\n-- Contact Sports Editor Brian Janosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.