Row 9 brings 11 rookies to the track

Eleven rookies. Eleven untested riders. \nThere isn't a lot of Little 500 history for Delta Sigma Pi, Ashton and the Army ROTC. But the women of Row 9 said they are looking forward to making their mark in the 2001 race.\n#25 Delta Sigma Pi (3:21.40)\nThird year rider Megan Hakes, a senior, will lead a pack of rookies into this year's Little 500. Junior Janelle Tillema, senior Erin Mahoney and sophomore Maggie Petersen round out the Delta Sigma Pi team, which will start on the inside of the track at the No. 25 spot. \nTo prepare, the team made a spring break trip to Gainesville, Fla., but they said the trip was not just a vacation. \n"The main reason we headed to Gainesville was because many other teams go there to train," Hakes said. "We thought it would help us better prepare for the race." \nThe riders of Delta Sigma Pi already accomplished one of their goals for the season, as they qualified in their first attempt. But team members were not completely happy with the run. \n"We expected to have a faster time, but we took our exchanges slow which made our time slower," Hakes said.\nNow the team will be chasing after its second goal: improve on its position. \n"We have an inside spot, so we have a faster part of the track," Hakes said. "We need to avoid early wrecks and move up within the pack. We are looking to better our qualification spot in the race."\n#26 Ashton (3:22.80)\nWith four rookies on the team, the women of Ashton decided they needed some track work before they attempted to qualify for this year's race. Seniors Melody Lynch and Heather Moore, sophomore Ashley Chastain and freshman Jennifer Schalk stayed in Bloomington during spring break to get more of a feel for Bill Armstrong Stadium.\nUnder the guidance of coach Tim Stockton, the women worked on exchange timing, sprinting and endurance. \n"We decided to stay because we needed more track experience and difficult, structured workouts to qualify successfully for the race," Chastain said. \nTeam members said they feel the extra work paid off, but they were somewhat disappointed at qualifications. After struggling with conditions in its first run, the team "played it safe" in its second attempt to avoid returning for a third run. But the team believes its starting place is not a bad one.\n"We qualified a little lower than expected, but we will hopefully be able to make up some ground in the race," Chastain said. "Our strengths are our endurance and good exchange timing. We will be able to stay with the pack for long stretches."\n#27 Army ROTC (3:25.30)\nROTC Little 500 team members seniors Adrienne Barker and Emily Burkle, juniors Christina Sandoval and Rosemarie Hirata and sophomore Tanya Mack are used to working together. But working together on bikes is something new. \n"These girls' strength has to be unity," coach Bryon Blohm, a senior, said. "They all come from a strong background of knowing each other and working together in intense situations." \nThe women of ROTC will be represented in the race for the first time since 1997 and are looking forward to the opportunity to test their abilities on the track. The team will be starting in the No. 27 spot, but when the green flag falls, competition will not be the only thing for which the ROTC team will be racing. \n"The girls are extremely happy to be in the race and it is a really neat opportunity for them," Blohm said. "This is something the ROTC has not had anyone participate in for a few years and the girls are just focused on having fun out there"