Final series event today

Each Little 500 series event determines something different about the riders and teams.\nIndividual time trials determines the fastest riders. Miss-N-Out decides the top pack riders.\nNow, it's time to discover which teams look strong as Little 500 approaches.\nTeam Pursuits, which test team strength and unity, is scheduled for Friday at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Thirty-one men's teams are expected to compete in the pursuits, which begin at 2 p.m. The finals are scheduled for 8:32 p.m. The women's finals are scheduled for 8:20 p.m.\n"I love the event," Phi Gamma Delta junior Mike Nierengarten said. "It shows the depth that a team has because it's 15 laps long. It's a fun event to watch." \nRain stretched the pursuits to two days last year, forcing some contenders to withdraw. This year, 12 of the top 15 men's qualifiers, including the top five teams, are scheduled to compete. From 1997-2000, the most teams that have competed in the event were 26 in 1999.\n"It's a very competitive field," race director Jonathan Purvis said. "There is more participation than past years and it should be an exciting event." \nThe pursuits mark the last series event before the April 21 men's race. After Miss-N-Out and individual time trials, Phi Delta Theta leads the series totals with 38 points. The team with the lowest number of points after the three series events wears the yellow jersey on race day, which is traditionally worn by the series winners.\nPhi Delta Theta senior Josh Beatty has been the dominant rider of the events, winning both Miss-N-Out and Individual Time Trials. Phi Delta Theta junior Matt Marketti helped the team claim the series lead by finishing third in Miss-N-Out and seventh in the time trials.\nFiji is second in the standings with 52 points. The team is already wearing the blue jersey worn by the team claiming the pole position. \n"I felt great about our team all year, but to see how well we did in ITT's and Miss-N-Out sort of makes you feel more confident about your team," Nierengarten said.\nBeta Theta Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Chi hold the 3-5 spots in the standings.\nSigma Phi Epsilon won the pursuits last year by defeating Fiji in the finals. Sigma Phi Epsilon recorded a time of 9:42.34 to win the title. Junior Mike Zycinski and senior Isaiah Knouff are the only two returning riders from last year's Sigma Phi Epsilon team.\nThe pursuits are the only team-oriented series events. The competition begins with two teams standing on the infield while laying their bikes on the track. When the starting gun is fired, riders begin chasing each other. Teams begin on opposite sides of the track, and compete for 15 laps. The teams with the two lowest times advance to the finals. \nDelta Chi senior Jason Sonneborn said the pursuits can show a lot about particular teams.\n"If you see guys yelling at each other and trying to lap each other, you can see teams fall apart," Sonneborn said. "It's kind of telling"