Greeks houses prepare send-off for cyclists

Kappa Kappa Gamma rider and junior Katie Sauter said last year’s rider send-off brought tears to her eyes. The sorority, which has a consistently strong Little 500 team, had the best time in qualifications this year. The team will wear the green jersey Friday, and for that, Sauter said the entire house is thrilled.

“Everyone is just really excited and always asks what we’re doing,” Sauter said. “It gets us more pumped up and gives us something to hold on to. The possibility of winning is there.”

Last year the sorority and its pair met at a live-out house and cheered on the riders as they finished their warm-up ride and proceeded to the track. Sauter described it as a sea of orange. 

Sauter’s father rode in the Little 500 when he was a student here, so she said the race, the send-off and the support from all her sisters and friends holds a special meaning.

“It’s just a really special thing to see,” Sauter said. 

In the men’s race, Phi Delta Theta will wear the white jersey, which signifies that the team scored the most points in the Spring Series events. Phi Delt has won three Little 500s in the last 30 years, so president and junior Adam Jump said the fraternity is excited in the week leading up to the race and supports its riders. 

“Getting the white jersey signifies how much work the riders have put in,” Jump said. “The guys have worked their butts off all year and over the summer trying to get the team as strong as possible.”

Like Kappa, the fraternity will line the street with its pair early Saturday morning and cheer on the riders as they head off for the track. 

Nick Sovinski is a senior rider with Phi Delt. This is his fourth year racing. He said he is proud of his progress but knows the real test will be Saturday morning.

“All the white jersey means is that we have a strong team,” Sovinksi said. “We’re not so much concerned about the white jersey. It’s nice for everybody else to see, but we’re just hoping our results from the Spring Series events carry on into the race.”
 
In the end, Little 500 is about more than the riders and the teams. The houses themselves become a part of all the festivities, finding excitement in their team’s successes and supporting them at the race. 

“We’ll obviously be at the race cheering the riders on,” Jump said. “But the send-off is just to get us, and them, pumped up and excited.”