Teter laps field to take home 2nd-straight Little 500 trophy

For the second year in a row, Teter Cycling won the 2011 women’s Little 500 race with a time of 1:10.43, with Pi Beta Phi and Delta Gamma rounding out the top three.

“Every year you want to do it, but it is surreal when you actually do it,” Teter rider Lauren Gowdy said.

The race got off to an action-packed start on a day when cloudy skies did not produce the downpour many anticipated.

During lap nine, a crash in turn three wiped out a big portion of the pack of riders.
Pi Beta Phi was involved, but quick thinking helped pull the team out of the hole and into the runner-up position.

“This is the proudest I’ve ever been after the Little 500,” Pi Phi rider Caroline Brown said.

While many teams had to play catch-up after the early crash, Teter’s safe riding allowed the team to avoid the crashes.

Lead by senior Caitlin Van Kooten, Teter stormed out to a substantial lead and eventually lapped the entire field before the half-way point of the 100 lap race.

With the victory seemingly in hand, Van Kooten finished the last couple of laps with a smile on her face and crossed the finish line with both hands in the air.

The victory capped an impressive career for Van Kooten. Earlier this spring, she defended her Individual Time Trials title and won her second consecutive Miss-N-Out.
The team took a victory lap with its fans following.

Gowdy said being able to share that victory lap with the fans was a great way to celebrate.

“It was really nice having our fans out here to support us, and we couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.