Column: The best time of year is right around the corner

Can you feel it? It’s coming. With every passing day during second semester, plus the warming of weather, we get closer to the World’s Greatest College Weekend: Little 500.

Before the green flags can wave and the women’s and men’s races can start, several other spring cycling events must lead the way. The first, and possibly most important, is Qualifying Day, or Quals, and it is just 31 days away.

“Quals is the kickoff to everything,” said senior and Wing-It Cycling rider Abigail Legg. “It is the time to look at your teammates and say, ‘Let’s do this.’”

Quals means quite a bit to the riders and the fans. It is the first official spring cycling event, and it sets the stage for who will be the teams to beat in the final race. It is also the first time the rookies compete at the track.

“I think Quals is one of the most exciting, and also nerve-wracking, days for riders and fans,” said senior and Kappa Alpha Theta rider Amy Dickman. “Quals are the official kickoff to the race and perfect for getting people excited.”

If you have never attended any part of the qualifying event, it is worth your while to check it out. Each team that wishes to compete in the Little 500 must participate to be considered for
the race.

Only 33 teams qualify for the men’s and women’s race. It is usually the men’s teams that are actually cut from the race, but this year, women’s teams will be cut from the race, as well. The teams only have three attempts to successfully complete the laps before being disqualified.

It is four laps around the track with an exchange in between each lap. The exchanges during this event, much like the exchanges during the race, are always hazardous and can stop teams from qualifying or move their spots far down the ladder.

The excitement that comes with qualifying your team also comes with the pressure to live up to expectations. Riders will be the first to tell you a good starting position is key.

“Quals, or ‘qualidays,’ as I like to call it, is one of my favorite days in the spring,” junior and Delta Gamma rider Emily Loebig said. “It’s important to get a good starting position to stay safe in the race.”

The starting position in a crowded race is important. It also helps to set up which teams can work together to have a successful race.

Depending on the weather on race day, being stuck in a pack in the middle could be dangerous and result in crashes.

Whether or not Quals is an accurate projection of how race day will end is debatable.

The most important part of Quals is the excitement it brings to the campus, and it gives students the chance to look toward the best season in Bloomington: Little 500 season.

“Quals condenses all of the speed, emotion and inebriated fans of race day into less than two and a half minutes,” said senior and Beta Theta Pi rider Eric Anderson. “What’s not to like?”