Little 500 qualifications, who’s in and who’s out

IU's campus was filled with excitement at the break of dawn this weekend as the Little 500 Qualifications began at 8 a.m. 

The day was filled with skillful, experienced riders as well as rookies from both the men’s and women’s teams. 

Usually, the top 33 teams with the best times qualify for Little 500 race but this year, as well as last year, the women only have 32 teams registered while the men had more than 33 teams attempting to qualify. Not only do the rankings of qualifications give insight of how teams will perform in less than a month, but it also determines the starting order for the Little 500 race.

Delta Gamma finished first in the women's qualifications for the second consecutive year with a winning time of 2:51.359. The mark was 18 seconds behind its winning time last year at 2:33.308. The difference in time was due to cold and wet conditions, which affected the track. 

The weather consisted of a mix of snow, sleet and hail with an average temperature of 37 degrees. Even with this weather, the second place women qualifier showed consistency. 

Kappa Alpha Theta placed in second, 2:57.661, for the second year in a row, but with a time 20 seconds slower than the previous year. As for third place, Alpha Gamma Delta placed with a time of 2:58.694. This is the first time in 14 years Alpha Gamma Delta has placed in the top three. 

Alpha Chi Omega finished fourth with a time of 3:00.349, and Teter in fifth, just milliseconds behind with a time of 3:00.452. Both of these teams have placed in the top 10 within the past three qualifications.

As for the men, Cutters stole first place with a time of 2:34.973, just ahead of Kappa Sigma, who followed in second with a time of 2:35.052. Last year's qualifications champions, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, placed third this year with a time of 2:37.798. There was a 15 second added difference between its time this year and the team's winning time last year. 

Sigma Phi Epsilon jumped up one spot from last year's fifth place finish to take fourth this time with 2:39.377. This year's fifth place team, Pi Lambda Phi, made an impressive improvement since last year's qualifications. The team almost didn't qualify last year, coming in 31st place with a time of 2:37.979, and added two seconds to their qualification this year for a final time of 2:39.491.

In a surprise feat, Delta Sigma Phi, which was founded just three years ago, qualified for the first time with a time of 2:53.483 to place 28th.

These 33 men’s teams and 32 women’s teams will continue to train to compete in the Little 500 race that will take place on Friday, April 20, 2018, for the women and April 21, 2018, for the men. 

Men

1. Cutters: 2:34.973
2. Kappa Sigma: 2:35.052
3. Sigma Alpha Epsilon: 2:37.798
4. Sigma Phi Epsilon: 2:39.377
5. Pi Lambda Phi: 2:39.491
6. Phi Gamma Delta: 2:39.638
7. Sigma Chi: 2:40.100
8. Black Key Bulls: 2:41.439
9. Forest: 2:43.436
10. Chi Alpha: 2:43.785
11. Delta Chi: 2:43.785
12. Phi Kappa Psi: 2:43.881
13. Alpha Epsilon Pi: 2:44.571
14. Gray Goat: 2:45.114
15. Phi Delta Theta: 2:45.297
16. Bears: 2:45.625
17. Alpha Sigma Phi: 2:45.702
18. Pi Kappa Alpha: 2:46.181
19. Young Pioneers: 2:46.983
20. 3PH: 2:47.701
21. Beta Theta Pi: 2.48.269
22. Lambda Chi Alpha: 2:48.897
23. Alpha Kappa Lambda: 2:48.935
24. Black Ice: 2:49.716
25. Christian Student Fellowship: 2:49.839
26. Evans Scholars: 2:51.457
27. Acacia: 2:51.457
28. Delta Sigma Phi: 2:53.483
29. Delta Upsilon: 2:55.262
30. JETBLACH: 2:56.229
31. Beta Sigma Psi: 2:56.997
32. Phi Sigma Kappa: 2:58.424
33. Theta Chi: 2:58.685

Women

1. Delta Gamma: 2:51.359
2. Kappa Alpha Theta: 2:57.661
3. Alpha Gamma Delta: 2:58.694
4. Alpha Chi Omega: 3:00.349
5. Teter: 3:00.452
6. Phi Mu: 3:03.452
7. Theta Phi Alpha: 3:03.517
8. Alpha Omicron Pi: 3:03.914
9. Alpha Xi Delta: 3:08.331
10. Ski: 3:09.918
11. Ride On: 3:10.560
12. Independent Council: 3:11.581
13. Alpha Sigma Alpha: 3:12.923
14. Delta Phi Epsilon: 3:14.754
15. Delta Sigma Pi: 3:15.856
16. Chi Omega: 3:16.509
17. Sigma Kappa: 3:17.163
18. Phi Gamma Nu: 3:17.192
19. Cru: 3:17.338
20. Christian Student Fellowship: 3:17.870
21. Centripedal Force: 3:18.479
22. Alpha Delta Pi: 3:19.499
23. Melanzana: 3:21.515
24. Kappa Delta: 3:22.572
25. Gamma Phi Beta: 3:26.685
26. Delta Zeta: 3:26.841
27. Kappa Kappa Gamma: 3:30.460
28. Alpha Phi: 3:31.115
29. IU Nursing: 3:34.206
30. Camp Kesem: 3:35.195
31. Sigma Delta Tau: 3:47.174
32. Alpha Epsilon Phi: 4:10.178

Julia Briano