Teams feature rookie riders

All three teams in row 11 of the men's 2001 Little 500 are comprised of a majority of rookies, but each team has hopes of busting into the top 25. Experience and training methods vary among the teams, but all three said they're confident about the race. \nNO. 31 DELTA UPSILON (2:54.75)\nDelta Upsilon will sit on the inside of row 11 for the 2001 men's Little 500. The team consists of seniors Mike Reed, also an IDS staff member, and Alan Dunbar; junior Christian Blaine; and freshmen Stephen Farbstein and John Gramig. These riders have a common bond -- they are all Little 500 rookies. \nDespite the inexperience, the team stayed in Bloomington during spring break, rather than heading to Florida or California like many other teams.\n"We were doing about 2:45 for (qualification) runs during break, so we were disappointed (with qualifications results)," Blaine said.\nBut members said they are looking forward to rectifying the situation on race day. \n"We mesh very well as a team," said Blaine, citing the team's good combination of sprinters and endurance bikers.\nWhile Delta Upsilon said they would at least like to match its 25th-place finish of a year ago, the primary focus will be on the future, with three riders poised to return for their second race in 2002.\n"Hopefully, we can build a foundation for the future," Blaine said.\nNO. 32 ALPHA EPSILON PI (2:55.30)\nLike many of the teams in rows 10 and 11, Alpha Epsilon Pi is well-stocked with rookies. The only returning rider from last year is sophomore Dan Fruchtman, who is joined by freshman Jonathan Ehrlich and sophomore Evan Selik. The fourth rider on the team will be freshman David Weidberg or junior Marc Haas.\nTo prepare for the race, the team visited Hilton Head, S.C., during spring break to train. \n"It helped a lot," Ehrlich said. "We got comfortable with our bikes and in better shape."\nAlthough the team members said they are not pleased with their qualification results, the team said it believes it can improve in the race. To do so, they must overcome their lack of experience. \n"We'd like to be competitive and place in the top 25," Ehrlich said. \nLast year, Alpha Epsilon Pi finished 27th.\nNO. 33 DELTA SIGMA PI (M) (2:56.41)\nDelta Sigma Pi rounds out this year's field, but the team is disappointed that it eked into the race with the last spot. \n"We wanted to be in the top 20, but we dropped two exchanges and had to take our last attempt slower," said team captain Alan Ireland, a senior.\nNow that it is in the field, Delta Sigma Pi looks to make some noise. \n"We look to place around 20th," Ireland said. \nIreland, who trained in Gainesville, Fla., during spring break, will have to guide the team in his second Little 500 for a top-20 finish to become a reality. He is joined by a rookie cast featuring sophomore Drew Marsch, senior John Gurchiek and junior Chris Dobecki.\nLast year's Delta Sigma Pi team rode to a 28th-place finish after qualifying in the 29th spot.