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(06/01/11 4:43pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>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.
(05/29/11 10:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the 100 years of the Indianapolis 500, few endings have provided as much drama as this year’s race as rookie JR Hildebrand crashed in the final turn of the final lap of the 500 mile race—ultimately yielding Dan Wheldon this year’s champion. Entering the final lap, Wheldon was in second place behind Hildebrand, who had an almost four second lead on. As Hildebrand entered the final turn, he lost control of his car and crashed into the outside barrier, sliding all the way to the finish line two seconds behind Wheldon for a second place finish. Hildebrand, who is on Team Panther and is sponsored by the National Guard, said the loss is not devastating on a personal level, but instead is more disappointing for his team. “Maybe down the road it will turn into a personal thing that I’ll just be pissed off at myself for not doing whatever,” Hildebrand said. “In the end, it’s really more about the people, for me at least, this team has worked so hard, it’s such an integral part of being here at Indianapolis and being successful at Indianapolis, that’s really where the sort of heartbreak is for me right now.”Wheldon, who won the Indy 500 in 2005, started the race in the 6th position and gradually worked his way through the field. In lap 177, Wheldon made his final pit stop of the race, in hope of stretching his fuel enough to the finish line. “On the radio with 20 to go, they said, ‘Listen, this is the deal. Some people are going to try and make it on fuel and you’re one of the guys who can make it till the end, but you’ve got to go and make sure you get everything out of the car that you possibly can,’” Wheldon said. Heading into the final lap, Wheldon admitted that he did not have time to think about his emotions of possibly falling short in second place.“Right up until the point that I passed JR, I was so focused,” Wheldon said. “It was one of those races where it was so competitive that you just had to be on your game.”Through the agony of defeat striking Hildebrand, Wheldon was able to become the winner of the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, but the champion said that a wreck like Hildebrand’s could happen to anyone.“That’s what’s great about Indianapolis. It happened to me in 2006, where I dominated the race and got a flat tire with about 20 laps to go,” Wheldon said. “It’s obviously unfortunate, but it’s Indianapolis. That’s why this is the greatest spectacle in racing, you never know what will happen.”Wheldon, whose contract with Bryan Herta Autosport ends at midnight, said he hoped that his win second win at the Indy 500 will help him move into full time driver’s spot. “I knew that when I started this race that I wanted to do everything in my power to deliver a win, not just myself but for such a great group of people,” Wheldon said. “The people that form this team and the relationships that we have all bonded quickly, it has been really good—a Cinderella story.”
(05/23/11 12:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alex Tagliani wanted to end the Penske and Ganassi domination of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis 500.Tagliani, who drives for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, took a significant step toward that Saturday, posting a four-lap average speed of 227.472 miles per hour to claim the pole position for the 95th Indianapolis 500 next Sunday.The first Canadian to start the race from the coveted position inside the front row, Tagliani bested Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon’s average of 227.340 miles per hour and claimed a $100,000 prize for his Pole Day-ending run in the “Fast Nine” shootout, the final qualifying round.“I’m happy for this team and for Sam and for all the guys,” Tagliani said. “I think more than the money and all of that, I think it’s the timing is great for what we’ve done this week.”Car owner Schmidt, a former driver who was paralyzed in 2000 during an INDYCAR event at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., admitted winning the pole was one of the high points of his career.“I’ve definitely had some roller coasters in my life,” Schmidt said. “Just where does that rate? It’s for sure near the top. This is one huge step forward.”Spanish driver Oriol Servia will join Tagliani and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Dixon on the outside of row one.Rain threatens PatrickMother Nature found a way to make her presence felt throughout the weekend, and INDYCAR’s most popular driver felt it most of all.On a rainy Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Danica Patrick waited in line to qualify until heavy rain threatened to eliminate her from the 100th-anniversary Indianapolis 500.“It kind of seemed like I just kept going up against things,” Patrick said. After waiting an hour through the rain delay, Patrick, driving the No. 7 GoDaddy car, posted a speed of 224.861, classifying her in the 26th starting position. While waiting for the rain to subside, Patrick said she began to question whether or not she would even get a chance to qualify.“The rain came back with only me to go, and it kind of just seemed like maybe it was just not meant to be this year, but that’s just the roller coaster that you ride here,” Patrick said. “It makes you value the good days more and makes you want to try like hell to never have these days again.”Patrick said her emotions ranged between happy to qualify and mad because she believed she had a much faster car. “I am mad,” Patrick said. “I really thought we had a fast car, fast enough to be in the top-9 even. For it to go the way it did, I’m relieved to be in the race but I’m frustrated.”Rain had halted qualifying both days.Andretti emotionIt turns out Patrick wasn’t the one on her team left on the outside looking in.Andretti Autosport, which entered Patrick, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway and John Andretti into this year’s race, managed to qualify just three of its entries, and one made the field at a teammate’s expense.With just a minute remaining in the Bump Day qualifying session Sunday, Marco Andretti hit the track in a last-ditch effort to make the 33-car lineup. The 24-year-old Andretti turned a four-lap average of 224.074 miles per hour to qualify 28th, but he bumped his teammate Hunter-Reay from the field.Team owner Michael Andretti felt for Hunter-Reay, saying this has been his worst Indianapolis 500 as an owner.Conway, who broke his leg in a last-lap crash in last year’s race, failed to make the field as well.Tough Pole Day for titansIt was a surprisingly difficult day for the perennial powerhouses at Indianapolis.Team Penske, the winningest organization in Indianapolis 500 history, had just one representative in the Fast Nine shootout in Will Power, and one of the team’s entries, Ryan Briscoe, didn’t even make the field on the first day of qualifications, earning the 27th spot Sunday. Three-time race winner and Penske driver Helio Castroneves managed just 16th on Pole Day.Penske’s woes were shared by fellow IndyCar power, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, whose two cars both ran out of fuel on their Fast Nine runs.Defending race winner Dario Franchitti’s final run figured to again put him on the front row from where he won last year’s running, but his No. 10 Target machine ran out of fuel on his final lap.Franchitti did not address the media after his qualifying run, instead climbing from his car and walking straight to his mobile home without removing his helmet. However, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner later offered a musing via his Ganassi organization.“We were pretty close on setup with the Target car, but not good enough for the pole today,” Franchitti said in the statement. “We were definitely good enough for third place. We obviously ran out of fuel at the end of the third lap and that was it. “It’s disappointing for us, but I’m happy for Sam Schmidt, Allen McDonald, Alex Tagliani and their whole team.”Dixon briefly held pole before Tagliani bumped him; the New Zealander’s No. 9 car ran out of fuel as Dixon was pulling back onto pit lane.Simona beats the burnsFifteen other cars qualified for the race Saturday. Among them was second-year Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro, who just two days prior had been involved in an accident that flipped her car upside down, shattered it upon impact with the wall in the short chute heading into turn four, and burst into flames that burned de Silvestro’s hands. It was unclear at that point whether de Silvestro would be cleared to qualify Saturday.Yet the HVM Racing driver received the OK from the track’s medical center Pole Day morning and turned a four-lap average speed of 224.392 miles per hour near the day’s end, slotting her in the 24th starting spot.“A day ago, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get back in the car,” de Silvestro said. “I was really freaked out about it. But I think I made the right decision to get back in, and the doctors have taken really good care of me. “After the crash, I was like, ‘I don’t need this. This is too crazy. It’s way too dangerous.’ You know, after a while you’re back to being a race car driver and thinking, ‘Nah, I can do this.’ And you suck it up.”
(05/23/11 12:19am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alex Tagliani wanted to end the Penske and Ganassi domination of INDYCAR and the Indianapolis 500.Tagliani, who drives for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, took a significant step toward that Saturday, posting a four-lap average speed of 227.472 miles per hour to claim the pole position for the 95th Indianapolis 500 next Sunday.The first Canadian to start the race from the coveted position inside the front row, Tagliani bested Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon’s average of 227.340 miles per hour and claimed a $100,000 prize for his Pole Day-ending run in the “Fast Nine” shootout, the final qualifying round.“I’m happy for this team and for Sam and for all the guys,” Tagliani said. “I think more than the money and all of that, I think it’s the timing is great for what we’ve done this week.”Car owner Schmidt, a former driver who was paralyzed in 2000 during an INDYCAR event at Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando, Fla., admitted winning the pole was one of the high points of his career.“I’ve definitely had some roller coasters in my life,” Schmidt said. “Just where does that rate? It’s for sure near the top. This is one huge step forward.”Spanish driver Oriol Servia will join Tagliani and 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Dixon on the outside of row one.Rain threatens PatrickMother Nature found a way to make her presence felt throughout the weekend, and INDYCAR’s most popular driver felt it most of all.On a rainy Bump Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Danica Patrick waited in line to qualify until heavy rain threatened to eliminate her from the 100th-anniversary Indianapolis 500.“It kind of seemed like I just kept going up against things,” Patrick said. After waiting an hour through the rain delay, Patrick, driving the No. 7 GoDaddy car, posted a speed of 224.861, classifying her in the 26th starting position. While waiting for the rain to subside, Patrick said she began to question whether or not she would even get a chance to qualify.“The rain came back with only me to go, and it kind of just seemed like maybe it was just not meant to be this year, but that’s just the roller coaster that you ride here,” Patrick said. “It makes you value the good days more and makes you want to try like hell to never have these days again.”Patrick said her emotions ranged between happy to qualify and mad because she believed she had a much faster car. “I am mad,” Patrick said. “I really thought we had a fast car, fast enough to be in the top-9 even. For it to go the way it did, I’m relieved to be in the race but I’m frustrated.”Rain had halted qualifying both days.Andretti emotionIt turns out Patrick wasn’t the one on her team left on the outside looking in.Andretti Autosport, which entered Patrick, Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Mike Conway and John Andretti into this year’s race, managed to qualify just three of its entries, and one made the field at a teammate’s expense.With just a minute remaining in the Bump Day qualifying session Sunday, Marco Andretti hit the track in a last-ditch effort to make the 33-car lineup. The 24-year-old Andretti turned a four-lap average of 224.074 miles per hour to qualify 28th, but he bumped his teammate Hunter-Reay from the field.Team owner Michael Andretti felt for Hunter-Reay, saying this has been his worst Indianapolis 500 as an owner.Conway, who broke his leg in a last-lap crash in last year’s race, failed to make the field as well.Tough Pole Day for titansIt was a surprisingly difficult day for the perennial powerhouses at Indianapolis.Team Penske, the winningest organization in Indianapolis 500 history, had just one representative in the Fast Nine shootout in Will Power, and one of the team’s entries, Ryan Briscoe, didn’t even make the field on the first day of qualifications, earning the 27th spot Sunday. Three-time race winner and Penske driver Helio Castroneves managed just 16th on Pole Day.Penske’s woes were shared by fellow IndyCar power, Target Chip Ganassi Racing, whose two cars both ran out of fuel on their Fast Nine runs.Defending race winner Dario Franchitti’s final run figured to again put him on the front row from where he won last year’s running, but his No. 10 Target machine ran out of fuel on his final lap.Franchitti did not address the media after his qualifying run, instead climbing from his car and walking straight to his mobile home without removing his helmet. However, the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner later offered a musing via his Ganassi organization.“We were pretty close on setup with the Target car, but not good enough for the pole today,” Franchitti said in the statement. “We were definitely good enough for third place. We obviously ran out of fuel at the end of the third lap and that was it. “It’s disappointing for us, but I’m happy for Sam Schmidt, Allen McDonald, Alex Tagliani and their whole team.”Dixon briefly held pole before Tagliani bumped him; the New Zealander’s No. 9 car ran out of fuel as Dixon was pulling back onto pit lane.Simona beats the burnsFifteen other cars qualified for the race Saturday. Among them was second-year Swiss driver Simona de Silvestro, who just two days prior had been involved in an accident that flipped her car upside down, shattered it upon impact with the wall in the short chute heading into turn four, and burst into flames that burned de Silvestro’s hands.It was unclear at that point whether de Silvestro would be cleared to qualify Saturday.Yet the HVM Racing driver received the OK from the track’s medical center Pole Day morning and turned a four-lap average speed of 224.392 miles per hour near the day’s end, slotting her in the 24th starting spot.“A day ago, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get back in the car,” de Silvestro said. “I was really freaked out about it. But I think I made the right decision to get back in, and the doctors have taken really good care of me. “After the crash, I was like, ‘I don’t need this. This is too crazy. It’s way too dangerous.’ You know, after a while you’re back to being a race car driver and thinking, ‘Nah, I can do this.’ And you suck it up.”
(04/18/11 3:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second year in a row, Teter Cycling became the champion of the 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. The crash began as one of the riders lost her balance within the tight pack and tumbled to the ground, causing the rest of the pack to fall.Gowdy said although rain preceded the race, track conditions were favorable despite windy conditions.“The wind was kind of picking up in turns three and four, but other than that, the track conditions were great,” Gowdy said. “The rain packed the track down, and there were no sketchy turns.”Pi Beta Phi’s Caroline Brown, whose shoe flew off in the early crash after colliding with other riders, said her team was fortunate that the crash happened right in front of its pit.“My bike was ruined,” Brown said. “Luckily, Elizabeth Mackey got on her bike and went as hard as she could to catch up.”The quick thinking of Mackey pulled Pi Beta Phi out of an early hole and ultimately into the runner-up position.“This is the proudest I’ve ever been after the Little 500,” 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 theentire field before the half-way point of the 100 lap race. After lapping the field, Teter’s Emma Caughlin said the team’s goal was to keep itself off the track.“Once we got a lap ahead of everyone, we just wanted to ride safe,” Caughlin said. “If you’re in a pack, anything could happen. People can break or speed up so you don’t really know.”With the victory seemingly in hand, Van Kooten finished the last couple 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.After receiving the winner’s trophy on the infield stage, the team of Gowdy, Van Kooten, Caughlin and Susan Laurie made their way around the track arm-in-arm for their victory lap as Teter fans in attendance followed behind.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.
(04/16/11 1:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For the second year in a row, Teter Cycling became champion of the women’s Little 500 race with an unofficial time of 1:10.43, with Pi Beta Phi and Delta Gamma rounding out the top three. Teter’s Lauren Gowdy said winning the Little 500 is an unbelievable feeling.“Every year, you want to do it, but it is surreal when you actually do it,” Gowdy said. After the pre-race ceremony, the race got off to an action-packed start. During lap 9, a crash in turn 3 wiped out a big portion of the pack of riders. The crash began as one of the riders lost her balance within the tight pack and tumbled to the ground, causing the rest of the pack to fall. Gowdy said although rain preceded the race, track conditions were favorable but a bit windy.“The wind was kind of picking up in turns three and four, but other than that, the track conditions great,” Gowdy said. “The rain packed the track down, and there were no sketchy turns.”Pi Beta Phi’s Caroline Brown, whose shoe flew off in the early crash after colliding into the other riders, said her team was fortunate that the crash happened right in front of their pit. “My bike was ruined,” Brown said. “Luckily, Elizabeth Mackey got on her bike and went as hard as she could to catch up.”The quick thinking of Mackey pulled Pi Beta Phi out of an early hole and ultimately into the runner-up position. “This is the proudest I’ve ever been after the Little 500,” Brown added.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. After lapping the field, Teter’s Emma Caughlin said the team’s goal was to keep themselves off of the track. “Once we got a lap ahead of everyone, we just wanted to ride safe,” Caughlin said. “If you’re in a pack, anything could happen. People can break or speed up so you don’t really know.”With the victory in the bag, Van Kooten finished the last couple laps with a smile on her face and crossed the finish lines 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. After receiving the winner’s trophy on the stage set up in the infield of the track, the team of Gowdy, Van Kooten, Caughlin and Susan Laurie made their way around the track arm-in-arm one last time for their celebratory victory lap as Teter fans in attendance followed behind. Gowdy said being able to share that victory lap with the fans was a great way to celebrate the victory.“It was really nice having our fans out here to support us, and we couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
(04/15/11 12:43am)
Meet the young up-and-comers of the Little 500. Emma Caughlin, TeterKelsey Tharnsrtom, Alpha Chi OmegaDan Kinn, Black Key BullsMiles Johnson, Phi Kappa Psi
(04/15/11 12:36am)
Meet the Little 500's veterans.Caroline Brown, Pi Beta PhiJoel Newman, Sigma NuZach Trogdon, Gray GoatAileen Ottenweller, Army Women
(04/15/11 12:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the beginning of each Little 500 season, each team is issued two bikes from the IU Student Foundation to use throughout training and the competitions. Although the brand of the bike may change from year to year, this year’s Schwinn bikes follow the same single-gear design that has been used in every Little 500.According to Little 500 Race Director Pam Loebig, the single-gear bike is used to level the playing field for all riders in terms of equipment.“The goal is to provide riders with the exact same equipment and bikes so the race is ultimately decided by the riders on the bike, not the bikes themselves,” Loebig said. “By using a single-gear bike, riders can’t shift to different gears to get an advantage. The only way you can go faster is by pedaling faster.”While some of the differences between the Little 500 bike and a normal mountain bike are noticeable, here’s a breakdown of some of the things you may have missed about the bikes.HandlebarsLittle 500 bikes must use drop-shaped handlebars. The drop bar style is standard in most cycling races and provides a better grip for riders when they choose to stand up on the bike. GripWhile the handlebar grip is provided for each Little 500 bike, each team is allowed to put its own tape on the bikes. Many teams choose to change the color of their grip based on their team colors. RimsUnlike many modern bikes that use 20 to 24-hole spokes, the Little 500 bike has stuck to the traditional 36-hole spoke rim. While the decision to use the traditional rim is based on keeping the bikes consistent from year to year, the 36-spoke rim provides the bike with more durability, as it must be made of either steel or aluminum. TiresOn race day, one spill could cost a team a chance at the title, which makes the traction from tires crucial. Each Little 500 bike is equipped with tires that are wider and heavier than those on the normal racing or mountain bike. The extra tire width helps give the bikes more traction. framesThe frame of the Little 500 bikes is made of aluminum and cannot be altered by the riders. The sturdy aluminum makeup provides the bike with a durability that is needed throughout the season.brakesAs opposed to mountain bikes and other bike styles, the Little 500 bike does not utilize hand breaks. Instead, a coaster break — much like the brakes on many childhood bikes — requires the cyclists to pedal backward in order to skid to a stop. The coaster break is useful during exchanges because it allows the rider to stand up and pass the bike off easily. single gearOne of the biggest misconceptions of Little 500 bikes is that they have no gears. The truth is the bikes have only one gear. The single-gear bike is used to level the playing field for the competitors. While multi-gear bikes allow the rider to adjust the tension on the chain to go faster, Little 500 cyclists must rely on good old-fashioned leg strength to speed up.
(04/15/11 12:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“Survivor.” “Jersey Shore.” “Little Five”?While the Little 500 may lack the insect eating and designer haircuts of other great reality shows, Junkdrawer Media and 12th Floor Films are currently working on bringing “College’s Greatest Weekend” to the reality TV show world in “Cycle U: The Little 500.” Mary Beth Anderson, an IU alumna and founder of Junkdrawer Media, said the show is still in the early stages of production, as they will gather interviews and film from this year’s Little 500 to put together a trailer that will be pitched to the TV networks during the summer.Anderson said the Little 500 is the perfect cocktail for great, quality programing.“Little Five is about passion,” Anderson said. “It’s about excitement and being competitive but also about being a part of a tradition and in something that’s bigger than who you are. (The audience) will feel the high points and the low points but will be inspired by the race and what it is and how it stands for the love of sports.”Four women’s teams will be chosen as the focus of the show, and the teams will be followed throughout the entire academic year, training and race day. The show will present the challenges riders face while juggling their training, classes and finals, along with the desire to keep their college social life at IU.Anderson said she believes the obstacles Little 500 cyclists face make a story that translates to all walks of life because of the constant challenges that the Little 500 provides, whether physical or mental.“I think when you look at the riders, especially in the women’s race, some of them have not even been on a bike before,” Anderson said. “It’s about taking a risk and proving to yourself that you can do something that you didn’t think was possible. I have a feeling that most women who go across the finish line on race day feel really good about themselves, and I hope that the viewer will be inspired by these women and entertained by them.”After a year of negotiating, the companies signed a three-year contract with the IU Student Foundation for the exclusive rights to produce a Little 500 reality show. Pam Loebig, an assistant director for the IUSF and Little 500 race director, said IUSF is very excited that the TV show will bring the Little 500 race into the national spotlight while providing a unique opportunity for the riders. Loebig said it is important that the reality show can debunk some people’s perceptions that the Little 500 is just an excuse to party.“It’s frustrating that we have to constantly deal with that,” Loebig said. “People think Little Five and they think of partying, while we (IUSF) are putting on this bike race to raise scholarship money.” Anderson, who admitted she is biased because she is an alumna, said the show will be able to spotlight athletes who do not fit into the traditional collegiate student-athlete mold that most of the country thinks of. “These cyclists are doing it for the love of their school, for their organization and for the love of biking,” Anderson said. “We think more people need to know that an event like this exists within college life because it is one of the most spectacular collegiate events in the country.”
(04/14/11 11:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Every Little 500 cyclist has his or her own reasons for entering the race. Many cyclists enjoy the competitive edge. Others crave the instant feeling of pride that comes with wearing their team’s jersey in front of a stadium filled with their fans. For Rainbow Cycling, the inspiration to compete in the race stems from more than just personal ambitions.The riders for Rainbow Cycling, which is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services, will be riding for an entire community that has never been represented in the women’s Little 500, a community to which some of the riders do not even belong. Junior Rachel Curley of Rainbow Cycling said although not all of the riders on the team personally identify as a part of the GLBT community, supporting GLBT is about more than just sexual orientation.“I hope (riding in the Little 500) shows the GLBT community that there are students at IU that don’t have to identify with them but are allies and that don’t see any division between straight and gay people,” Curley said. “I hope that it can at least show them that there are people out there that are totally for their cause.”While this will be the first women’s team to compete for Rainbow Cycling, the origin of the team can be traced back to 2006, when the first and only Rainbow Cycling men’s team took the track. THE ORIGINALJason Sinex, now the coach of the women’s Rainbow Cycling team, was a founding member of the 2006 Rainbow Cycling team. Originally, the team had no affiliation with the GLBT community. The name Rainbow Cycling came from an unlikely source.“Our friend, who was from San Francisco, where they have a very strong GLBT community, had these rainbow sandals,” Sinex said. “We put those two things together and he said, ‘Call it Rainbow Cycling.’”At first, the name was a bit of a joke, but when the opportunity came to get involved with GLBT through Doug Bauder, the director of the GLBT Office, the team said they knew it would work. “Doug and the whole community took us in with open arms and really supported us both financially and by giving us a community that we knew we could ride for,” Sinex said. “It really meant a lot to ride for something outside of ourselves.”While the team placed 27th out of 33 teams, Bauder said its result could be felt around the race track as at least 75 people from the GBLT community cheered on the team from the stands. “As we watched the race, other people seemed respectful, but many seemed surprised that the people wearing the Rainbow Cycling shirts were not all gay students,” Bauder said. “There were families, kids and students. I think since it was the first time that GLBT was represented, it must have impacted people to show that diversity matters, no matter where you are.”RAINBOW CYCLING 2.0While the women’s team qualified in 30th place out of 33 teams, a men’s Rainbow Cycling team did not qualify for this year’s race. Sinex said although it is unfortunate that they could not have both a men’s and women’s team in the race, he hopes being represented in both races in the future will lead to even more support from the GLBT community.“I thought that if we started the team up again, we wanted to have a girls’ and a guys’ team so that we could get even more people that had never been involved with Little Five involved in it to see how much fun it really is.”As for the team, four out of the team’s five cyclists will also be involved in Little 500 for the first time. Sophomore Torrey Byrd, senior Carrie Coon, junior Stacey Schwarz and Curley are all rookies, while junior Meaghan Reed will be riding in her second Little 500.Byrd, a Bloomington native, said she never thought she would be riding in the Little 500, but said when Sinex presented the chance to ride for Rainbow Cycling, she did not hesitate.“I never even thought about riding in Little Five, so when Jacob asked me to join Rainbow Cycling, I just said yes,” Byrd said. “I didn’t even think about it. I am from Bloomington, so I have always seen and heard about the race and watched ‘Breaking Away,’ so I thought it would be cool to actually be in it, especially riding for a cause.”Reed, who rode for the Collins team “Dynamica” last season, said Rainbow Cycling wants to help promote diversity while standing for what is right.“I would say that Rainbow Cycling stands for gay rights in the Bloomington area and around the world,” Reed said. “For people that are in the closet, hopefully they will see that they have a community of support in the Little 500 and throughout Bloomington, so hopefully that will help them show pride in who they are.”Bauder said the buzz is building within the GLBT community.“It’s exciting because we see this as another first because we have never had a women’s team competing before,” Bauder said. “Throughout our fundraisers, we have been very excited with the amount of volunteers that have stepped up to help organize these events and that there are people giving their time and energy to help out.”Curley said she has felt nothing but positive excitement from the very welcoming GBLT community of Bloomington. “I didn’t even realize that the people that work for the GLBT’s office and the whole community were really this excited about us until we had a potluck dinner,” Curley said. “Everyone was coming up to us like, ‘Thank you for doing this.’”THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE...With all of the negative media attention that covered the suicides of gay and lesbian students during the fall semester, Bauder emphasized the importance of having a GLBT-sponsored team in the Little 500.“Over the years, my sense is that people look for symbols of acceptance. People look for that something that gives them the feeling that this is a safe place to be,” Bauder said. “What saddens me is IU is a big place and people that could use the GLBT may not even know about us. The story of Rainbow Cycling will help highlight the work of the office, and that’s great news.” With the future in sight, Reed and all of the other cyclists said they view the GLBT community’s involvement in the Little 500 as a sign of progress in the battle for equal rights and hope the Rainbow Cycling team will become a staple in the race.“Who knows if Jacob thought this team would happen in 2011? So hopefully in 2021, our team will still be around,” Reed said. “In general, I think we are a lot more open than we used to be, but I still feel like we have a long, long way to go. Now I look and see that the GLBT is a part of the Little 500, and before, who knew when that day would come? Now it’s here, so we are progressing.”While the impact of this year’s Rainbow Cycling team may never be fully known, Sinex said he hopes the team can provide some inspiration for people within any community to see that it’s okay to be who you are and proud of it.“I would want Rainbow Cycling to be thought of as a team that inspired a community that wasn’t particularly involved in the Little Five and sporting events at IU to join in and be welcomed by the existing Little Five community,” he said. “Both groups can definitely learn from each other and share in this experience.”
(04/11/11 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Despite a stormy start to Saturday morning’s Team Pursuit that caused an hour delay, the fast track conditions at Bill Armstrong Stadium made for a record-breaking day. “(The track) was perfect,” Teter’s Emma Caughlin said. “The rain packed everything down, and then it was sunny afterwards, which dried up all the bubbles and made it really fast.”With the fast track, Teter came flying out of the gate with a record time of 7:50.11 — 13 seconds faster than its previous record of 8:03.86 from 2004. According to Teter’s Caitlin Van Kooten, the record, which advanced them into the final heat against Delta Gamma, had been one of the team’s goals all year. “I sent them an email in the fall like ‘Hey, I want to do this, this year. Here’s the breakdown in seconds to do it,” Van Kooten said. “I looked at the record and knew our juniors were a lot stronger and our rookies would be really strong, too.” Van Kooten said a fast start in the first two laps of the 12-lap women’s race put Teter six seconds faster than its targeted time.“I was like ‘Woah, we need to settle down,’” she said. “But we were able to sustain it throughout the race and only had one lap over 39 seconds.”Later in the finals, Van Kooten led the team the whole way, as they ultimately defeated Delta Gamma with a time of 8:00.1 — 10 seconds faster than DG’s 8:10.76.Although Van Kooten pulled the entire race, she said any of Teter’s four riders have the ability to pull, as the team’s advantage lies within its depth and ability to keep pace with its leader. “I think what really gives us an edge is that we don’t have to trade-off,” Van Kooten said. “It’s more efficient when you don’t have to trade-off. These girls are fast. There’s not a lot of other teams that have three girls that could hold our pace for the entire time.”Teter’s Lauren Gowdy said the team’s confidence in one another helped them throughout the team event.“We have a lot of faith in each other,” Gowdy said. “We know that each person is going to do their part.” DG improved in the final heat and posted time of 8:10.76. Led by senior rider Kelsey Kent, Delta Gamma will own the pole position come April 15 for the Little 500.While DG won the pole position during qualifications, the win in the Team Pursuit clinched the Spring Series title and the white jersey for Teter. Earlier in the season, Caitlin Van Kooten won both the Individual Time Trials and Miss-N-Out. As the teams will start one-two in this week’s race, Gowdy said the possibility that Teter and Delta Gamma could both end up on the podium wouldn’t surprise her, but there is no rivalry brewing.“They have three seniors, so you know they will have been working hard this year,” Gowdy said. “DG has put in a great effort, all of them, but I haven’t heard of any kind of rivalry.”
Final Heat
Teter — 8:00.1
Delta Gamma — 8:10.76
(04/07/11 2:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Andrew Morrow of Sigma Chi Cycling said he believes everyone in the world would benefit from having a twin.“As a twin, you have someone to be competitive in sports with in the backyard,” Morrow said.For Andrew and his twin, Nate, competition has been a way of life. While the two competed together as three-sport athletes in high school, both have found different sports at IU that have kept them on the fast track to success.Andrew, who will be competing in his third Little 500 this year, has become one of the fastest riders in the men’s race. The junior placed ninth in this year’s Individual Time Trials and helped Sigma Chi qualify in third place. Nate, a redshirt sophomore on the cross country and track teams, is a part of IU coach Ron Helmer’s team that placed seventh in this year’s NCAA cross country national championships, its best finish in 33 years.While both of the Morrow boys said they are each other’s biggest fans, their competitive nature has been shared throughout their lives.But who wins?“I like to think I do, but if you ask him that question, he’s going to say he does because that’s our competitive spirit,” Nate said. “You look at him and he’s a little bigger than me, but you look at me and I’m a little quicker than him, so it goes back and forth.”For Andrew, the answer was easy.“We can run together in a race, but Nate would always beat me to the line in the end,” Andrew said. “If I could take a little bit of acceleration from him, I could definitely use it.”While countless hours were spent in the back yard competing in various sports, Nate said he will never forget one instance when Andrew was practicing hitting a baseball by using a swing-away baseball on a string attached to a pole. He ended up with a lump on his head.“Somehow, his bat hit the pole, and it ricocheted the bat straight back into his forehead,” Nate said. “My mom sees this and is freaking out like, ‘We got to get you to the hospital,’ but (Andrew), who must have been stunned, was even laughing about it.”Andrew, who claims that his bat did not hit the pole, said he could literally see the horn-like bump on his forehead that kept him out of football practice the next day because his helmet would not fit over it.“I was embarrassed to tell my football coach that I was playing baseball during football season,” Andrew said. “He would have ripped me a new you-know-what.”Although their athletic careers have gone in different directions since high school, Nate said the two are happy competing.“For me, it worked out to be on the track and cross country team, which I love and wouldn’t change anything about it,” Nate said. “For Drew, it worked out to be riding for our fraternity and competing in a great event that has a lot of notoriety around the country.”Andrew said the transition from running cross country in high school to competing in Little 500 was an easy one, but cited that one of the differences between running long distances and cycling is the amount of leg explosion and power that is needed.“With cycling, you have to have big thighs,” Drew said. “You got to have powerful muscles to get started on the bike and to get a lot of explosion. In running, you don’t need those muscles to accelerate as much.”Although Andrew’s focus is on leading Sigma Chi to a Little 500 title, he said he still enjoys going out and running with his brother.“He will go out for an hour run, and I will go with him for a half hour or so,” Andrew said. “I don’t see myself pursuing cycling after I graduate, but I love running, so I’ll definitely get back into the running scene.” Naturally, being a twin may create a rivalry between siblings, but the Morrow boys admit they have nothing but respect for each other’s abilities.“Drew is my role model, to be honest,” Nate said. “I look up to him because he is the hardest working kid that I’ve ever seen. There are kids that might have more talent on the bike than him, but I guarantee that he will be one of the hardest workers out there. That’s what gets him his success, and he deserves it.”Andrew reflected that Nate’s grit is what has led him to become a collegiate athlete.“He’s tough as nails,” Andrew said. “I’ve always admired that about him.”Looking down the road, Andrew said he hopes that after college the two will continue to take on competitive challenges together.While Andrew and Nate do not want to get too caught up with their legacies, both hope they will be remembered for their hard work and competitiveness. “If we put our hard work in, it will allow us to maybe set some records or win some titles — that’s a lasting legacy,” Andrew said. “Then we can come back in 30 years, which we undoubtedly will, and look up to the scoreboard and see our names. That would be pretty cool.”
(04/04/11 2:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When the day began, no one would have picked Teter Cycling’s Caitlin Van Kooten as the repeat winner of the Spring Series event Miss-N-Out. It wasn’t because people doubted the senior, who placed first in the Individual Time Trials with a time of 2:39.41, but because Van Kooten’s name was not even on the schedule to compete. “There was a little bit of a mix-up when I went through registration, but we got it straightened out,” Van Kooten said. The mix-up was the only speed bump in the way of Van Kooten as she comfortably advanced through the early rounds and into the final group on her way to a second consecutive Miss-N-Out title. While Van Kooten is no stranger to winning, she said it was not a familiar feeling to be going into an event as the defending champion.“It’s a different sort of pressure on you. You just have to stay calm,” Van Kooten said. “I don’t like to look at it like ‘Oh, I may lose my title.’ You just still got to think of it as an opportunity to win.”By winning the Individual Time Trials, Van Kooten earned the inside position closest to the gutter in each heat. While the inside position gave Van Kooten an edge, she said her overall strategy was simple. “My goal is to always keep the pace high and make sure no one comes around me,” Van Kooten said. “My strategy is like the least complicated thing in the world. You want to make sure you aren’t gassing yourself and you can react if someone tries to come around you, but it’s mostly about holding that inside line.”Putting the pressure on Van Kooten in the final round was Caroline Brown from Pi Beta Phi. After a neutral lap, the two entered the final lap almost neck-and-neck. After hitting the back straight-away with Brown on her back wheel, Van Kooten turned on the jets to pull away. The senior was all hugs and smiles after she cleared the finish line with a wave to her friends and family in the stands. Although many cyclists and fans look at Miss-N-Out as only one of the smaller events that builds up to the Little 500 race, Van Kooten said it is one her favorite events because of the relaxed atmosphere surrounding the race.“Basically, the whole Little Five community comes and hangs out at the track for five hours,” Van Kooten said. “You aren’t racing the whole time, so it’s a lot of hanging out with your team and talking to other people. It’s a fun day.”Joining Van Kooten and Brown in the finals were Army Women’s Hannah Calvert (third place), Theta’s Kathleen Chelminiak (fourth place) and Delta Gamma’s Kayce Doogs (fifth place) and Kelsey Kent (sixth place).For Teter, Van Kooten’s win may be a sign of good things to come. Last year, the team rode the momentum from Van Kooten’s wins in the Individual Time Trials and Miss-N-Out events on its way to the Little 500 title. “It builds confidence,” Van Kooten said. “It always feels good to win.”
(03/30/11 3:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU’s Little 500 cyclists will be living life in the fast lane Wednesday, as they compete in the second spring series event of the year — the Individual Time Trials.The time trials, which start at 4 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium, place each rider in a four-lap race against the clock.While the other Little 500 series events combine strategy and skill, Teter’s Caitlin Van Kooten said the beauty of the individual time trials lies within its simplicity.“One of the things I love about ITT is that there is no strategy,” Van Kooten said. “You just go out there and ride as fast as you can for four laps.”Each race begins with one cyclist standing on his or her bike in each of the four corners of the track. Once the race begins, each rider takes off from his or her respective corner to start their race against the clock. More than 300 men and women riders are scheduled to race throughout the evening.Van Kooten, who won the individual time trials last year with a time of 2:40.03 seconds, said ITTs are the first time teams get to check out their competition.“The results from ITTs really let you see who the contenders will be by race day because it is really a pure test of your strength and speed,” Van Kooten said.While Van Kooten has one ITT win under her belt, many contenders, including last year’s second and third place finishers — Caroline Brown of Pi Beta Phi and Kelsey Kent of Delta Gamma — will be in the hunt for this year’s title.On the men’s side, five cyclists that placed in the top-10 of last year’s event will be competing again this year.The Cutters’ Eric Young tops the list as the two-time defending champion with a time of 2:22 seconds.But the top returning competitors from last years’ ITTs: Steve Sharp (Phi Delta Theta), Ted Boeglin (Phi Gamma Delta), Eric Anderson (Beta Theta Pi) and Jordan Bailey (Black Key Bulls) will look to overthrow Young and improve on last year’s top-10 finishes.While the returning top-10 finishers may have a mental edge based on previous success, Boeglin said it is difficult for anyone to predict who will be at the top of the board by the end of the day.“In reality, there are about 20 riders that are competing for those top-five spots,” Boeglin said. “Every year you find guys that come in more fit than you thought they’d be, so you never really know how everything will end up.”Although the individual trial times determine the seeding for Saturday’s Miss-N-Out event, Boeglin said teams do not alter their training for the time trials.“Our team views this week as a stepping stone in our training to our ultimate goal of winning the Little 500,” Boeglin said. “It’s a good gauge to see where we are and where the other teams are at. But in the end, good teams train as they normally would through ITTs.”
(03/28/11 3:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If Saturday’s qualifications were any indication of things to come, the house pairing of Delta Gamma and Sigma Nu will be filled with success and celebration this Little 500 season, as each qualified in first place for this year’s race. Senior and Delta Gamma cyclist Kelsey Kent said the success of the two houses has raised the level of excitement for Little 500 within the house, but it is only the first step toward the ultimate goal of winning it all. “It’s very exciting that we are a good team and that we will be paired with the other pole winner, but I think our fans and the people in our house will be able to enjoy this more than us because we are still training for the actual race,” Kent said. “Winning the pole is a big accomplishment, but in the end we train for the race, and that’s what we really want to win.”Delta Gamma members, who finished with a time of 2:44.76, will have Teter, the defending champions, trailing, as Teter finished in second with a time of 2:47.52. Kent said the rest of the field will be looking at both Teter and Delta Gamma come race day.“Whenever you are the defending champions you will have a target on your back, and with us wearing the yellow jacket as the pole winner, people will be coming for us on the track,” Kent said. Delta Gamma’s 2:44.76 finish was nine seconds off of Teter’s all-time qualifying record of 2:35.54 in 2009. Although the rain showers held off throughout the day, Kent and many other riders said the moisture on the track led to slower times as teams had to adjust to the conditions. “In general, everyone’s times were a lot slower than usual because the track was never completely dry,” Kent said. “The corners were loose and some teams were wiping out on turn three, so you had to keep that in mind, but everyone had to deal with it.”While Delta Gamma won Little 500 in 2008, the team has not started in the pole position within the last 10 years. Last year, the team started and finished in third place, while in 2008 DG started in second place before ultimately winning it all. With individual time trials and Miss-N-Out taking place in the coming weeks, Kent said the key to success will be continuing to train, but as is the case in any sport, anything can happen on race day.“You can train as hard and be in great shape for the race, but when it really comes down to it, anything can happen,” Kent said. “On race day, it comes down to having good weather, making good exchanges and you got to have some luck on your side.”
(03/08/11 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While many Little 500 cyclists draw inspiration from wearing their houses’ letters, an additional phrase has run down the sleeves of the Alpha Chi Omega team jersey for several years as a simple reminder of the members’ ultimate goal.“Our house has used the phrase ‘R2F2’ on our jerseys for some time now,” sophomore Sara Jean Waters said. “It means ‘ride really freakin’ fast.’”Like the slogan, keeping things simple might be the key to success for an Alpha Chi Omega team that is comprised entirely of riders who have never rode in the Little 500.The team, which is made up of Waters, Grace Hoglund, Libby Lienhoop, Kelsey Tharnstrom, Ellie Hay and Julia Haynes (who will not compete because of appendicitis), hopes to improve on last year’s 20th-place finish.Despite the lack of experience, Hoglund, a sophomore who trained with the team last year, said the team’s athleticism will even the playing field with the more seasoned racers.“We really got lucky with the group of rookies that have come in because their pure athletic skill has allowed them to start at the same level that we have been working to,” Hoglund said. “There will be things like exchanges and some of the rules of the track that we will all have to get used to, but with enough work those things will become second nature.”Exchanges may provide the biggest challenge to Alpha Chi Omega because of the disparity in height that exists among the team. Lienhoop is the tallest rider at 6 feet, while Hoglund comes in at 5-foot-6.Hoglund said the team will choose to have a mechanic that will adjust the height of the seat to accommodate the different leg lengths of the cyclists during bike-to-bike exchanges. If a seat is either too high or too low it could affect the performance of the rider.“I have short legs, so jumping on and off of bikes that are too tall can be really hard for me,” Hoglund said. “If your legs are either really cramped or really stretched out, you’re not going to be able to get the same amount of speed that you usually do so it could be crucial.”While the actual race is still more than a month away, Waters said the whole experience of Little 500 has been a whirlwind of emotion that started when she decided to compete this year after attending last year’s race.“When I came to IU last year, I considered doing it, but didn’t follow through with it because I got a little intimidated by it all, but when I went to the race I knew I had to do it,” Waters said. “Even now, it is intimidating going out there on the track, but it can still be anyone’s race, and as long as you go out there and believe that you can ride really fast, you have a chance.”
(02/28/11 2:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While the Little 500 tradition has made its way through decades of races, the IU Student Foundation and Sophomore Class Campaigns are bringing back another IU tradition this year for the first time since the 1970s: the Little 500 Sweetheart.Originally, the tradition began in the 1960s, where the Little 500 Sweetheart — usually a celebrity — was given the honor of kissing each member of the winning Men’s Little 500 team.This year, instead of a celebrity, the Little 500 Sweetheart, who must represent a Little 500 team, will be selected from a group of applicants that will compete to earn points through a series of philanthropy events and interviews. The Sweetheart will be named during Little 500 week and will win a $500 scholarship, while the runner-up will receive a $250 scholarship.Any IU woman who has a 3.0 grade-point average and is a sophomore, junior or senior may apply. Applications for the Little 500 Sweetheart competition can be found on the IU Student Foundation website and are due Tuesday at midnight.Rachel Black, a senior on the steering committee of the IUSF and head of Sophomore Class Campaigns, said to earn points during the competition, Sweetheart contestants must raise money in philanthropic events such as the Taste of Little 500.“The Taste of Little 500 will have different vendors set up around the track, and spectators will be able to purchase tickets for food,” Black said. “Each Sweetheart contestant will sell tickets, and the number of tickets sold will count toward her point total.”“One thing to realize that while contestants will be putting in effort,” Black said, “much of their success depends on the support of their fans.”All proceeds will go to Girl’s Inc., a nonprofit that works to inspire and empower girls to reach their full potential and to understand, value and assert their rights.IUSF Director Dana Cummings said the revival of the Little 500 Sweetheart program is a part of IUSF’s class campaigns program, which was started a few years ago as an initiative to give back to the Bloomington campus.“What our sophomore class has done is to attempt to rectify the Little 500 Sweetheart competition that was a tradition years ago,” Cummings said. “The way the class campaign works is every class — freshman, sophomore and junior — are given $1,000 to design and come up with a philanthropy project. At the beginning of the semester, Rachel came to us with her committee and this idea for the Sweetheart, and we jumped on board.”While this year’s Sweetheart will be limited to only female applicants, Cummings said the IUSF has been interested in expanding the competition to male applicants as well.“We talked at length about it at the outset, but we have decided for this first year of bringing the program back, we want to focus our effort on the girls to see how it goes,” Cummings said. “Hopefully next year, we can open it up to more of a king and queen type of thing. We are really hoping that we can get some traction and some momentum this year for it to become a new tradition in the years moving forward.”Apply to Little 500 SweetheartELIGIBLE Sophomore, junior and senior women at IU with a 3.0 GPADEADLINE Tuesday at midnightMORE INFO Go to www.iusf.indiana.edu to apply.
(02/22/11 4:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When junior Amy Dickman of Kappa Alpha Theta was deciding whether to compete in her second Little 500 this year, there was a little bit of uncertainty behind the decision.The uncertainty did not reside in the tradition of Theta cycling, as her team has won four women’s races and has never placed below seventh. Instead, the question was who would join Dickman — Theta’s captain and only returning cyclist.The answer? Rookies Kacey McArthur, Christine Beyer, Kathleen Chelminiak and Rachel Metherd. For this group of rookies, the challenge of building on last year’s fourth place finish began by first learning what it means to compete for Theta in Little Five.“It’s a lifestyle choice,” Dickman said. “We teach the new girls that it’s a privilege to ride for Theta because we are consistently good and have worked really hard to reach that success.”While training for the race started in the summer and fall, McArthur looked at the team’s winter trip to Cape Coral, Fla., as the point when she began to see some of the strengths and weaknesses of her team.“It was a tough week,” McArthur said. “They pounded us out and gave us these exercises that I know I wasn’t fully prepared for myself, but it was a good way to get to know each other individually instead of just as riders.”Beyer added that the alumna that trained with the team in Cape Coral won the race for Theta in 2003 and has been an outlet of support throughout.“With her just riding with us every day, it gave us more motivation to keep working because she said our hard work then would pay off in April,” Beyer said. “She wanted us to make sure we knew that even though we are rookies, we have just as good of a shot as anyone else on that track.”While the lack of experience may yield a bit of a learning curve come race day, Dickman said she remembered the support from her house last year as what set Theta apart.“I remember last year waiting by the gate before I went into the infield to warm up, and all of the Thetas were walking up the hill cheering and chanting,” Dickman said. “Three girls next to me who weren’t in Theta, asked, ‘Does your whole house come?’“I said, ‘Yeah, Little 5 is what we do.’”
(02/15/11 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For Delta Zeta co-captain and junior Jenna Disser, the decision to step down as coach and compete on DZ’s Little 500 team for her second time was easier with the guidance of current head coach Jill McGinnis.“Two years ago as a freshman, we didn’t have a coach, but now under Jill, she has been sending us a training schedule since the beginning of the school year that we then report back to her after each week,” Disser said. “Trying to come up with your own workouts when you have never cycled before was a joke, so she has really given us direction in our training.”With a new training program in place, Disser will be joined by returning co-captain and senior Emily Laskowski, senior rookie Brittany Hamilton and sophomore rookie Monica Bhatia as the team looks to improve on last season’s 25th-place finish.While being a rookie as a senior has been a different experience for Hamilton, she said this event is putting a bow on her time at IU.“As a senior, I’ve had a lot of the college experiences, but Little Five has been unlike any of them,” Hamilton said. “Little Five is the final thing for me that I feel every student at IU is a part of.”While DZ is looking to rebuild its foundation with a new training regiment, one of the keys for the team’s success will be chemistry.After training through the grueling winter months of indoor stationary bike riding, the team will get a breath of fresh air during spring break as they travel to Hilton Head, S.C.Hamilton said the trip will help build the team’s focus during a pivotal week.“The only commitment that we are going to have that week is cycling,” Hamilton said. “Spring break is right before qualifying, so it will be a good thing for us to share.”The first test for any Little 500 team begins with Qualifications on March 26. DZ hopes to pass that test and bring the team back to the level it maintained during the past decade, when they placed in the top 15 nine out of 10 years.