More burning questions...
(04/10/08 8:17pm)
Greg and I will have race previews in the paper tomorrow, but in the meantime here are some more burning questions with ...
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Riding away: A day with Phi Psi
(04/09/08 4:00am)
On one of the final training days for the Little 500, IDS reporter Brian Buckey observed Phi Kappa Psi on a ride
The vet, the breakthrough and the up-and-comer
(04/09/08 4:00am)
Last year’s men’s Little 500 came down to a thrilling sprint to the finish between five teams. While top riders such as Cutters’ Alex Bishop, Dodds House’s Chris Chartier and Phi Kappa Psi’s Erik Styacich have moved on, this year’s race offers plenty of individual talent.
Phi Kappa Tau returns to race for first time since 1992
(04/09/08 4:00am)
After the Phi Kappa Tau riders completed a successful qualification run, they couldn’t hide the excitement on their faces. Not only had they not qualified for the Little 500 since 1992, but their time of 2:28.92 left them in 10th place.
35 years of memories
(04/09/08 4:00am)
Nancy Macklin has a black and white photo of the old Little 500 stadium on 10th Street, dated April 26, 1980. She can point to the spot near the first turn where she and her medical staff set up a tent during her first Little 500 in 1973. Macklin, now the director of nursing at the IU Health Center, has not missed a race in 35 years, but can still recall her first one like it was yesterday.
Burning Questions...
(04/07/08 11:06pm)
There is only a week left before the Little 500 and there is probably a lot that you, the loyal reader, are dying to know. This week Greg and I will provide you with interviews from as many riders as we can. Each day we will post a few of the Q-and-As in what we'll tenatively call "Burning Questions". I just came up with the name and it's probably pretty corny, so I'm open to suggestions. Without further adieu here is the first installment of Burning Questions with...
Team Pursuit on Saturday
(04/04/08 10:46pm)
Team Pursuit is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium. We have a good idea of the strong individual riders after ITTs and Miss-N-Out. Now we get a preview of what teams could be strong on race day. Team pursuit tests the depth of each team and could be a good indication of teams that will make noise in the race. Here is a link to the team pairings for Saturday and here is a link to the overall spring series standings heading into team pursuit.
Teter senior repeats as Miss-N-Out champion
(03/31/08 8:15pm)
Teter senior Sarah Rieke could not have dreamt of a better scenario for Saturday’s Miss-N-Out. Not only did she win her second consecutive Miss-N-Out title, but she did so with three teammates. VIDEO: Miss-N-Out
Teter senior repeats as Miss-N-Out champion
(03/31/08 6:28am)
Teter senior Sarah Rieke could not have dreamt of a better scenario for Saturday’s Miss-N-Out. Not only did she win her second consecutive Miss-N-Out title, but she did so with three teammates by her side in the final heat.\n“To have four girls in the final – I won’t lie, I got back and had some tears,” Rieke said after the race at Bill Armstrong Stadium. “I am just really living the dream right now, having four wonderful girls going into race day. There is absolutely nothing more I can ask for going into race day.”\nRieke sprinted past senior teammate Erin Hetzel in the final lap to the finish. \n“Once we got to the point where I knew it was me and Erin – my favorite spot to sprint out of is turn two – I just let loose and got enough gap to finish it off,” Rieke said.\nRiders were paired into groups based on their Individual Time Trial performances. After each lap the groups finished, a rider was eliminated from competition. The top riders of each heat moved on to the next round until a champion was named. \nHetzel finished in second place, while Delta Gamma senior Jessica Lander took \nthird place. \n“Anything after getting to the finals was just icing on the cake,” Hetzel said of her second-place finish. “I’m a rookie and I just came out here and listened to Sarah.”\nTeter junior Jackie Moeller and senior Sydney Hatten joined Rieke and Hetzel in the final heat of six riders. Kappa Delta sophomore Jenna Cerone was the other finalist.\nOn the men’s side, Black Key Bulls junior Isaac Neff won his second consecutive spring series event after winning the Individual Time Trials on Wednesday. Neff said he felt sick throughout most of the day, but he was still able to outlast the field. \n“I kind of rode like I felt strong, but I was really hurting,” he said. “I didn’t feel too bad on the bike, but between heats I was really hurting.”\nNeff led the final sprint the whole way and was able to hold off Cutters junior Clayton Feldman, who finished second, and Phi Delta Theta sophomore Nick Sovinski, who placed third.\n“There was a tailwind on the backside today, which is kind of unusual,” Neff said. “With that tailwind, it made it a lot easier to sprint. That helped me a lot because I’m not super good at acceleration, so I could just keep it real fast.”\nThe event lasted most of the day and was a true test of endurance for the riders.\n“It makes for a long day because as soon as you’re off, you have to jump on another bike and keep spinning to get your legs warm all day,” Delta Sigma Pi senior Tyler George said. “At some point it kind of wears down on you and makes it a little tiring.” \nGeorge joined the top three finishers in the final heat, along with Phi Delta Theta junior Matt Kain and Sigma Alpha Mu sophomore Stephen Quay. \nSovinski turned in an impressive third-place performance after finishing second in the ITTs in the first spring series event. \n“It felt great,” Sovinski said. “Last year I was out real early and this year I just had a strategy the whole time and it worked for me until the end. It felt really good to be in that final three because those other guys are great riders.”
Miss-N-Out update
(03/29/08 10:02pm)
Hey everyone. I just got back from the track after a very competitive day of racing. After all was said and done, Isaac Neff of Black Key Bulls won for the men and Sarah Rieke of Teter successfully defended her Miss-N-Out crown from last year.
Weather delays Rookie Week events
(03/28/08 5:48pm)
With Little 500 Rookie Week underway, icy conditions delayed what would have been the first-year riders’ first time on the track at Bill Armstrong Stadium.\nOn Monday rookie riders watched a video on the history and tradition of the Little 500 and took a written test on the rules. Tuesday was supposed to be the first day on the track, but race officials decided to cancel the day’s events. \n“Speaking with the head maintenance guys at the track, we just determined that it wasn’t really possible to be out on the track in the freezing rain,” Little 500 Race Director Matt Ewing said. “We tried to roll the track but we couldn’t get it in enough shape to ride on.”\nRookie Week is an eight-day training period for first-year riders, designed to educate riders on race rules, racing technique and track safety. Rookie Week started on Monday Feb. 11 and runs through Feb. 20. \nWhile Ewing said the cancellation of Tuesday’s events was not ideal, he is still confident that the Little 500 schedule of events will remain the same and all Rookie Week events will be completed by Feb. 21, when the track opens to non-rookie riders. \n“The forecast is supposed to warm up in the next few days, so if we can get out on the track by Thursday the schedule should be alright,” he said. “If we’re on the track on Thursday and Friday of this week, and then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, it will still be a full week for the rookie riders.”\nThe IU Student Foundation Riders Council, a group of experienced riders, coordinate Rookie Week by teaching rookie riders about the fundamentals of the race.\nRiders Council member and Phi Kappa Psi rider Mike Segal said one benefit of Rookie Week is the ability to mix indoor and outdoor activities. Segal said the Metz Lounge under the track is available to show past race videos to the rookies. However on Tuesday, the weather would not even allow for that.\n“The parking lot by the track all the way down the stairs to the Metz Lounge was just full of ice,” Segal said. \nWomen’s Riders Council president and Alpha Chi Omega rider Nattie Deinlein also said she is confident they will be able to complete the week’s activities, but she also stressed that the Riders Council will be able to help the rookies throughout the Little 500 season.\n“The Riders Council maintains our presence on the track throughout the season,” she said. “Our goal is to make sure that the rookies still feel comfortable as the season progresses. We still feel that the rookies will be more than competent.”
Up and down: 2006 champions ATO look to qualify for race on Saturday
(03/28/08 5:45pm)
Junior Alpha Tau Omega member Steve Ziemba has been a Little 500 rider for only two years, but he has already experienced the highest of the race’s highs and the lowest of its lows. \nTwo years ago, as a rookie rider, Ziemba watched as his ATO teammate Hans Arnesen lapped the field on the way to ATO’s impressive 2006 Little 500 title. \nLast year, however, Ziemba and ATO missed the chance to defend their title when they failed to qualify for the race. It was the first time in the event’s 57-year history that the defending champion failed to qualify for the next year’s race. At Saturday’s qualifications for the 2008 race, ATO will try to learn from last year’s mistakes and earn a spot in this year’s field.\n“As a freshman, I just came into a really good situation,” Ziemba said. “We had really strong leadership and just a really great team. Last year was tough. We trained so hard all year and then having that happen, it was devastating watching everyone else and not being able to compete.”\nAfter dropping the bike during an exchange in its first two attempts, ATO was left with one more chance to complete its run and qualify for the race. But after a judge ruled it made an illegal full-bike exchange on the first exchange of their last attempt, ATO failed to solidify a spot in the race, leaving its competitors stunned.\n“I was actually there when they did their third attempt, and obviously everyone was yelling and screaming and then all of the sudden there was nothing – everything was hushed,” said junior Kirk Weesner, a Pi Kappa Alpha rider. “I was just as shocked as everyone else.”\nWhile some competitors were surprised, others viewed ATO’s mishap as a competitive advantage.\n“I think a lot of teams, to tell you the truth, were more excited than they were shocked because it was good to have a good team like that out,” said junior Chad \nTimmerman, a Phi Sigma \nKappa rider. \nJunior Robert Perez, who was on the front end of ATO’s last exchange, said the final failed run was a result of a misunderstanding of the rules. While initially Perez and ATO supporters were angry at the ruling, their emotions later shifted to regret.\n“It was more disappointing than anything,” he said. “We had worked hard all year leading up to that and we had a really competitive team.”\nOn Saturday, ATO hopes to recover from last year’s disappointment and race up to expectations.\n“Last year, we were coming off spring break and we were riding really fast,” Ziemba said. “We might have been a little cocky and tried to come out too fast.”\nWhile three of the ATO riders missed the chance for race experience last year, Ziemba still believes ATO has a team that can challenge for its second title in three years.\n“We still have a very good team,” Ziemba said. “Our rookies have trained hard, and even though they haven’t been in a race yet, we still consider them veterans. Everyone has improved and our team is a lot stronger.”\nThe first step, though, is to qualify Saturday – something the teammates now know they cannot overlook.\n“We just have to keep calm,” Ziemba said. “Qualifications are probably the most stressful part of the race. You have to do three exchanges in three laps and you only get three attempts. It’s about us being comfortable. It’s not so much about winning, it’s about getting in.”\nWith memories of last year fresh in its mind, ATO will have plenty of incentive Saturday.\n“We don’t want to dwell on it, but it’s obviously good motivation for us,” Perez said. “We want to come back strong after that.”
Spring series runs annual Miss-N-Out
(03/28/08 4:48pm)
With Little 500 race day quickly approaching, the second spring series event, Miss-N-Out, will be held 10 a.m. Saturday at at Bill Armstrong Stadium. While Individual Time Trials tested the sprinting ability of the riders, Miss-N-Out represents a much different challenge.
Spring series runs annual Miss-N-Out
(03/28/08 6:04am)
With Little 500 race day quickly approaching, the second spring series event, Miss-N-Out, will be held 10 a.m. Saturday at at Bill Armstrong Stadium. While Individual Time Trials tested the sprinting ability of the riders, Miss-N-Out represents a much different challenge.\n“Miss-N-Out is definitely a lot different,” Alpha Phi senior Kate Laudermilk said. “It’s really strategy-based and it can be a little confusing for new riders and veterans alike.”\nMiss-N-Out consists of heats of five to eight riders based on their ITT times. Each rider starts at the same starting line and the last place rider is eliminated each lap until only three riders from the heat remain. The top three from each heat advance in a tournament-style format until the final heat. The top three finishers from the final heat compete in a one-lap sprint to the finish to determine the champion of the event.\nMiss-N-Out is not unique to Little 500, but the bracket setup is a twist, which separates it from other Miss-N-\nOut races.\n“It’s an event that’s been going on in Velodrome racing for a long time now,” Little 500 Race Director Matt Ewing said. “The bracket part of it is unique. We seed each rider and put them in a bracket, much like the NCAA Tournament. And like the NCAA Tournament, the top seeds don’t always make it to the final heat. That’s what makes it such a great event.”\nBecause of its format, Miss-N-Out forces riders to use their complete set of riding skills.\n“It really combines everything,” Laudermilk said. “It tests a little bit of your endurance, your sprinting ability and your wit.”\nWhile riders look to move on throughout the day, many employ different strategies in order to advance.\n“Some people will try to lead the whole time and make it a sprint and some others will try to stay behind and draft,” Kappa Delta sophomore Jenna Cerone said. “It really just depends on the individual strategy of the rider.”\nBlack Key Bulls junior Isaac Neff, fresh off his victory in the ITTs on Wednesday, will look to win his second spring series event. Neff made it to the final heat of last year’s Miss-N-Out but did not place in the top three. \nOn the women’s side, Teter senior Sarah Rieke will look to defend her Miss-N-Out title from last year after finishing second in the ITTs. \nTeams will once again earn points toward the spring series based on their finish in Miss-N-Out. After the ITTs, Cutters and Teter raced to an early lead in the men’s and women’s spring series, respectively, after each team placed three riders in the top 10 finishers. \nKappa Delta, the defending women’s champion, placed third in qualifications and had four riders in the top 20 at ITTs. The team will try to continue its success on Saturday. \n“Our goal is for everyone to win their heat,” Cerone said. “If we can do that, then we’ve done a pretty good job.”
ITT results/ Miss-N-Out
(03/27/08 8:02pm)
The complete ITT results are posted on the IUSF website. Here are the men's results and here are the women's. Looks like Cutters and Teter fared very well, each placing three riders in the top five. What are your reactions after looking over the results? What individuals surprised? What teams surprised?
Race against time
(03/27/08 2:12pm)
Last year, Teter senior Sarah Rieke set a track record time of 2:34.27 during Individual Time Trials. This year, she hopes she can come close to duplicating her record-setting performance.\n“I can only hope to be anywhere close to where I was last year,” Rieke said. “I had a really good week last year. I felt great in quals and ITTs right afterwards.”\nWith Individual Time Trials set to start today at 4 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium, Rieke will look to defend her title from last year. On the men’s side, Cutters rider Sasha Land will look to do the same. \nRieke said her mind-set will not change this year when she comes in as the favorite to win.\n“I was completely surprised by the results last year,” she said. “I didn’t even know what the record was. My eyes were not set on that at all. I’m going in the same way (this year). I do best when I have a rookie heart trying to beat the big girls.”\nWhile Rieke is the clear-cut favorite on the women’s side, Land should have a tougher time repeating his 2007 title. Black Key Bulls junior Isaac Neff finished first in the Individual Time Trials during the fall series and finished fifth in last year’s ITTs. \nThe Individual Time Trials consists of a four-lap sprint around the track by each individual rider. Four riders are on the track at the same time, each starting at a different turn. Each rider begins at a dead stop. A race official holds the back of the bike until the start, and riders start with their feet on the pedals.\n“It gives you more of an individual gauge or measure of how you do,” Acacia senior Carl Eveleigh said of the event. “It individualizes it more in this one event, but in the scheme of everything else, it’s just another piece of trying to come together for the race.”\nBecause it is a sprint, getting off to a good start is a key factor in recording a good time.\n“The starts are where a lot of time can be made up or lost,” Phi Kappa Psi senior David Schweer said. \nIndividual Time Trials are the second event in the spring series events. Other events include Miss-N-Out and the Team Pursuit. Teams earn points based on their finish in each event. After all four events, a series winner is determined, with the winning team wearing white jerseys on race day. \n“It just gives you a lot of confidence heading into race day,” Schweer said of the series events. “It really measures all facets of your team like your individual performance, your sprinting ability and also your team ability. So it’s a really good indication of where you stand.”
ITT update
(03/27/08 1:13am)
Hey everyone. Greg and I just came back from the track and wanted to give you an update of what has been going on.
Individual Time Trials on Wednesday night
(03/26/08 12:55am)
ITTs are tomorrow starting at 4 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Here is a link to the ITT heats courtesy of the IUSF website.
Season comes to an early end with heartbreaking loss to James Madison
(03/24/08 10:03am)
The IU women’s basketball team did not picture its season ending this way.\nA heartbreaking 86-81 overtime loss to James Madison in the second round of the WNIT brought an up-and-down season to a premature end. \n“What a year,” IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack said. “We certainly had bigger plans for this in our second year here. We certainly believed that there was more basketball for us to play.”\nThe Hoosiers had plans of an NCAA Tournament appearance, and after wins against top-20 opponents West Virginia and Ohio State and a victory over Purdue on the road, there certainly was a possibility of getting there. \nBut IU sputtered down the stretch, losing four of its final seven games including a 30-point loss at Wisconsin and a 15-point loss at Minnesota, essentially eliminating the possibility of an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.\nThrough everything, however, the Hoosiers stayed positive and rallied around the energy of their coach. They never hung their heads when they did not receive an NCAA Tournament bid, and they were ready to play against James Madison – their first WNIT game after a first-round bye.\n“It just didn’t come out our way tonight, but we certainly did everything we could to come out on top,” Legette-Jack said. \nOn Saturday night, IU simply could not find a way to slow down James Madison’s Tamera Young and Dawn Evans. Evans scored 38 points and Young added 30, giving the two players 68 of the team’s 86 points. \n“We know that we don’t give two players that kind of point production,” Legette-Jack said. “We knew that they were their go-to players, but we struggled with them.”\nAfter a 19-win season last year, the Hoosiers finished this season with an 18-15 record and a 10-8 Big Ten record in Legette-Jack’s second season. IU’s young team accomplished a lot this year, leaving Legette-Jack plenty to build upon.\n“Their effort,” Legette-Jack answered when asked what she was most proud of. “We never quit. We never blamed anyone for our losses. We just tried to compete.”\nShe also spoke highly of the Hoosiers’ effort to play for higher causes. IU hosted “Think Pink” to raise breast cancer awareness, they visited children’s hospitals and they welcomed a woman fighting heart disease into the locker room for a game.\n“These kids stand for so much more than the game,” Legette-Jack said. “For them to decide to play for cancer awareness, soldiers in Iraq, children in the hospital, heart disease – these kids are thinking outside the box.” \nEven after a disappointing end to this season, the teary eyes of the players and the coach could not hide the optimism for the future.\nIU will lose only one player in senior guard Nikki Smith and will return its top four scorers along with six freshmen from this year, leaving the team with a solid nucleus for next year.\n“Nikki was a great player for us, but we still have good players coming up and we’re returning everyone else, so I feel we have a bright future,” freshman guard Jori Davis said.
Sigma Alpha Mu, Teter win Little 500 pole positions
(03/24/08 4:00am)
Teter had the fastest time for the women, winning the pole position – the best starting position on race day – with an unofficial time of 2:39.45. Sigma Alpha Mu, a team who finished 11th in last year’s race, earned the first-place green jersey for the men with an unofficial time of 2:23.20. VIDEO: Qualifications
