After a week that challenged the hearts of the Kappa Kappa Gamma squad, race day brought more of the same.\nEarlier in the week, tragedy struck the sorority with the passing of Kappa junior Ashley Crouse. The event changed the team's entire approach, preventing them from preparing in their typical fashion. The past week left the team with little sleep, hindering their ability to focus on the race until late Thursday. In the end, it would be that lack of sleep and nourishment that would seal the team's fate.\nBut Kappa rode through, and by Friday afternoon, they were huddled in a tight circle in the infield before the race talking strategy with their coaches. As a prayer recognized their friend, the four women formed another tight circle, leaning their heads in against one another -- physically and emotionally supporting each other. Above the team hung a large, blue banner that read "Riding for a reason." \nIt was time to start the healing process.
Lap 1: Senior Kelsey Cooper takes the first lap, riding a roar that bellows from the sea of yellow behind the Kappa pit.
Lap 35: The team leads the field by a sizable margin, while senior Meredith Horner is crouched in the Kappa pit, dry heaving and shaking. Kappa decides to skip her in the rotation to give her time to recover. Junior Jess Sapp and Cooper start taking longer rides to make up for Horner's absence.\n"The reality is, we were hoping with Meredith, that we could save Jess more for the end of the race," Kappa coach Bill Naas said. "Then we just go to scratch that, we've got to stay in the race."
Lap 60: Horner's mom Karen comes down from the stands and climbs the pit wall to try and calm down and cool down her daughter who is "on fire" with a fever. Meanwhile Little 500 rookie Caroline Andrew already feels like she has ridden more laps than she expected to ride in the entire race.
Lap 66: For the first time in more than 30 laps, Horner gingerly rises to her feet. Aided by her mother, her lack of strength is evident in her inability to support herself. With the team's original plan long since abandoned, Naas sprints down to the Teter pit to try improvising a way to keep Kappa near the leaders. Kappa and Teter are together in the lead and Naas' new strategy is summed up in four words on a dry erase board, "Keep rotating, Theta off."
Lap 69: Through a break in the pack, Horner is helped off the track and on to a medical cart. Tears stream down from behind her dark sunglasses.\n"When we went to the medical tent I figured there was absolutely no way she was going back in the race," Karen Horner said. "But (Meredith) said, 'Oh no, oh no, they're falling behind a little bit. I've got to get back in there and help them.'"
Lap 74: With Horner gone, the signs Naas holds up for his riders keep stressing the same crucial task. "Get purple wheel," "Get purple!" But the messages can only do so much as the purple jerseys keep escaping, and Theta draws closer and closer.
Lap 90: Through another break in the pack, Horner crosses the track again. But this time, she is returning to the team, which is nearly 10 seconds behind Teter. Naas turns to his veteran and tells her there are 10 laps remaining in her Little 500 career. He asks her if she wants to ride, and the answer is simple. Yes.\n"Oh, she wants to ride," Karen Horner said as Meredith began jumping and stretching. "I'm a little worried about having her get back on the bike though."
Lap 96: Before a Kappa exchange, Horner looks to her mom and gives her a thumbs up. Andrew comes in, hands over the bike and Horner mounts for her final Little 500 laps.\n"I came in for the exchange, then I got back on the (stationary) bike to keep my legs loose, and I looked over at Kelsey, and I looked over at Jess, and then I thought, 'Oh my god, did I just exchange with Meredith?'" Andrew said. "I did not expect to see her out there at all, but at the same time I was smiling after I figured out it was her."
Lap 98: Naas' message to Horner is a simple one -- "WIN IT." Horner replies with another thumbs up. Meanwhile, Horner's parents hold hands, unable to take their eyes off their daughter. Each time Horner passes them, all her father can say is "Look at her, look at her."\n"That was the gutsiest thing I ever saw," Karen Horner said.
Lap 99: In a desperate attempt to try and catch up, Kappa exchanges riders one last time putting Sapp on the bike for a final push. But the team is too far behind after spending most of the day with only three riders. The race ends and Kappa finishes third, but the big picture has already set in. Every team member wears a smile on her face. \n"The race is just one thing at the end of a long amazing season," Sapp said. "We got third, but I had fun every single day of training. I'd rather have fun than get first any day."
After the race the team met with Crouse's family in a moment that put things in perspective. Just like the team, the family was all smiles, and they told the team how proud they were. \nThey tell Kappa that they knew Ashley was looking down on them.\n"Her mom has been so amazing and so uplifting," Sapp said. "She said this has been such good therapy. Just putting a smile on her face, we could have finished 10th and it would have been enough." \n-- Contact Sports Editor Brian \nJanosch at bjanosch@indiana.edu.
