Powerhouses to compete

Twenty-seven days ago at qualifications, the field for the women's Little 500 was set. Today, the field will be set loose to determine the 2002 women's Little 500 champion.\n"It's going to be an awesome race," IU Student Foundation assistant director and Little 500 coordinator Alex Ihnen said. "I think the race is going to be really competitive. The field is wide open. The returning championship team has maybe the strongest rider on the track, but a number of other teams are deeper.\n"It's going to be an awesome race."\nThe actual race is the culmination of rigorous practice schedules for the racers. Many teams have practiced since the beginning of the semester and some since the beginning of the school year. Teams have also had the chance to build up to the race through the Little 500 series, a string of events that focuses on different aspects of the real race. This year, teams competed in two events, Individual Time Trials (ITT) and Miss-N-Out. A third, Team Pursuit, was canceled because of rain.\nKappa Kappa Gamma took the pole position at qualifications, followed by Kappa Alpha Theta in second. Those two teams hope to add to a rich history that includes three race titles each over the past eight years. Con Fuoco, an independent team with just one returning rider, rounds out the first row. \nKappa Kappa Gamma had a 2:48.644 qualification time and continued its strong riding in both series events. At ITTs, three Kappas finished in the top 10, and senior Kristin Carpenter, a rookie, won Miss-N-Out. \n"We're extremely excited for the race," Carpenter said. "This has been all of our life since December, so this is the culmination of a long few months of hard work and practice. We feel that we should be in the front of the pack all day. We've trained and we're in it to win."\nRoadrunners, an independent team, won the race last year and qualified eighth with only one returning rider from their championship squad. But that rider is junior Jenn Wangerin, one of the fastest in the field. \nAlthough Wangerin is joined by three rookies, she is confident the team can forge a top finish. She said the toughest part could be adjusting to the actual race-day environment.\n"For a lot of people, Little 5 is this thing that's always there and you're training for it, but it doesn't exist," Wangerin said. "Then race day comes and it's there and it can be overwhelming. You go into the infield, and the track is different and it's a whole new perspective. (My teammates) are all really excited, but they're dealing with it pretty well." \nWith crashes, injuries and the race-day excitement, riders know it takes more than being physically ready for the race. Carpenter said there are a number of variables that go into performing well on race day. \n"First, you need luck," Carpenter said. "If there is one thing you need in the Little 5, it's luck. You also have to be smart, stay calm and listen to your coaches. You also have to put it all out there. We don't want to have anything left in our legs when we're done."\nLuck could also play a role in the actual running of the race. Early forecasts show the possibility of rain, which could potentially delay the race. If bad weather does strike, the IUSF will try to get the race in until 11 p.m. and then at 10 a.m. Saturday if the weather continues through the night.\nBarring bad weather, the race will begin today at 4 p.m. at Bill Armstrong Stadium.