Riders hope to keep up pace in Miss-n-Out challenge

Sophomore Black Key Bulls rider Isaac Neff established himself as one of the best sprinters Wednesday by placing fifth at Individual Time Trials, but Neff’s true strengths will be on display Saturday during Miss-n-Out.\nAs a freshman last year, Neff finished 25th in ITTs before making the finals of Miss-n-Out. Neff said Miss-n-Out plays to his strength as a road-race cyclist when he is not training for Little 500.\n“I like it,” Neff said. “I did better at Miss-n-Out last year than I did at ITT’s. I road race a lot in the summer, so I like this style better.”\nIn Miss-n-Out, the second of three spring series events, each lap the slowest rider is eliminated. The event emphasizes strategy and the ability to ride in packs. For Neff, Miss-n-Out is more indicative of actual race-day conditions on the track.\n“ITTs show you who is strong, but Miss-n-Out shows who is smart on the bike,” he said. “They both do something, but I guess we will see on race day.”\nBeta Theta Pi junior Nathan Miller agreed with Neff’s assessment of Miss-n-Out, adding it could be a preview of what’s to come on race day.\n“I think Miss-n-Out will show you who knows how to ride in a pack and who can position themselves to win a sprint,” Miller said. “It is important because it is likely that this year’s race will be decided by a final sprint.”\nPlacing three riders in the top five at ITTs gave the Cutters the early edge to capture a second consecutive white jersey for winning the spring series. \nIf last year is any indication, the Cutters should also be a force Saturday. Junior rider Alex Bishop won the event by beating then-Alpha Tau Omega rider Hans Arnesen on the final lap. \nIn addition to Bishop, senior David Caughlin advanced to the semifinals of last year’s event before being knocked out.\nDodds House, Phi Kappa Psi and Black Key Bulls also placed multiple riders in the top 15 at ITTs, making them a handful of teams looking to challenge Cutters for the white jersey.\nPhi Psi wants a strong performance in the series events and the race after taking the poll for this year’s race, senior Brian Adams said.\n“We are happy to be in green; it’s a great honor,” Adams said. “We also know that it doesn’t mean we are going to perform well. We had green two years ago and ended up sixth. Hopefully this year will end up different than that.”\nFor most riders, the spring events are just part of the final preparations for the main race. While the events are fun, most riders have complete focus on what needs to be done to win the Little 500, Neff said.\n“I think a lot of the good riders don’t care as much about these events, unless they want the white jersey,” Neff said. “Everyone is peaking for race day.”