Speed, strategy keys to Miss ‘N Out series event

Little 500 riders call Miss ’N Out an event of musical chairs.

When the music stops playing, who will be left riding?

On March 31, Little 500 riders put their tires to the track for the second of four spring series events. While Individual Team Trials lays out the field of the fastest riders, the event also contributes to the heat line-ups for Miss ’N Out.

Based on ITT times, riders are separated into heats of eight. The top 15 riders take the best spots of each heat, meaning they are placed along the front row inside the track.

The rest of the riders are dispersed throughout the heats, with the fastest being placed closer to the inside of the track. After each lap, the last bike to cross the start/finish line is eliminated. This continues until the fourth-to-last rider is eliminated. The top three riders then continue to the next heat.

Kristen Metherd, a senior Kappa Alpha Theta rider, finished 11th at the ITT this spring.
This spot places her at the top of heat 19. The advantage for the top rider is having the inside lane, which is the shortest distance to pedal around the track. Starting in the inside lane is a slight advantage, but Metherd said her position doesn’t really matter.
“Once the heat starts, you’re allowed to jockey for a position anywhere on the track, so if you started in the third slot you can easily jump right in front of the first person,” she said.

A fifth-place finisher in the men’s ITT, Phi Delta Theta senior rider Baxter Burnworth will also lead his heat.

Because Miss ’N Out rankings come from ITT finishes, Miss ’N Out is not so much a test of a team as a spectator event.

“You’ll see some guys that have much lower seedings and they’ll advance really far in Miss ’N Out,” Burnworth said. “For the seeds, I think the only advantage is you have a little bit more of a breather in the first rounds.”

With the white jersey still up for grabs, Burnworth said each team will try to advance as many riders as possible to the semi-final and final heats to earn more points.

While Burnworth and Metherd are both in their ideal spots, Alpha Omicron Pi freshman rider Elizabeth Littlejohn is starting at the back of her heat. Although she is upset about her spot, the freshman has based her training this week by riding seven fast laps.

“I don’t expect to get in the top three, but I hope to not be the first one out,” Littlejohn said.

The worst spot for any rider is the one in the middle of the pack, Metherd said. Those who start between the front and back riders tend to get “boxed in,” Metherd said — one of the toughest positions to get out from.

“You’ll see a lot of riders who will be sitting second place on the inside, and they will end up being eliminated just because they’re in a bad position,” Metherd said.

While Metherd is happy with the spot her ITT time gave her in her heat, she said how she finishes depends on lap-by-lap decisions.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter all that much where you start because things can change within a lap,” Metherd said