A team On the rise

In 2006, Kristi Hewitt decided to wing it.

“We didn’t really know what we were doing,” said Hewitt, whose sister brought her in to create a Little 500 team. “We didn’t have a coach. We were just all athletic girls who wanted to do something fun and athletic – hence our name.”

The next year, senior Jaime Boswell came in as a transfer student who ran cross country and was looking for a new route because of injuries she incurred while running. Her father was an IU alumnus who coaxed her into riding.

This year, sophomore Allison Bickel and freshman Stefanija Puaca joined in. The team was complete, and Wing It was ready to fly.

Or so it seemed.

Hewitt broke her radius during spring break, just before qualifications. Boswell injured her hip on a ride two days before Miss ’N Out. Puaca came down with mononucleosis before Team Pursuit and has been deemed unfit to ride on race day.

Despite almost having their wings clipped, members are ready to ride, Hewitt said.

“We’ve definitely had a lot of adversity on our team,” Hewitt said. “That just makes you stronger. You have to work through it.”

The women have faced many ups and downs this season, from placing second in qualifications, Hewitt’s first-place finishes in Individual Time Trials and Miss N’ Out and placing in the top five of Team Pursuit to the range of injuries.

Still, they are prepared to compete on race day.

“These girls give a lot of heart,” Hewitt said.

When Boswell was hurt, she said her only fear was not being able to get on the bike and ride for her team, and she was not willing to let her last chance to ride in the race pass her by, no matter how much pain she was in.

“I was terrified,” Boswell said. “That was the only thing rushing through my mind. But I knew that as long as they gave me a good diagnosis, I would be out there. I didn’t care if it was broken, if it was strained, if it was pulled. I was going to get out there as long as I could.”

Wing It coach Tom Schwoegler said he has nothing but praise for the girls’ effort.

“When I see these girls ... I see the faces of a lot of my other great riders,” said Schwoegler, who has coached 40 total men’s and women’s races. “They inspire me to be a better coach, and I try to inspire them. I couldn’t have been happier with these girls.”

The results of their efforts have shown themselves on the track, particularly for Hewitt.
“I have no doubt in my mind that Kristi is going to go down as one of the great riders in the history of this race,” Schwoegler said.

The veteran riders said the team’s rookies have also shown improvement. Bickel, who will be riding in her first Little 500 this year, said she is prepared to perform.

Puaca also said she will do whatever she can to inspire her team on race day.

“I’m very disappointed because I was looking forward to my first year,” Puaca said. “Now I’m just focused on how much I can help the team and doing whatever I can do to help them prepare, especially Alli, since this is her first year, too.”

Both Bickel and Puaca said their experiences with the team have been positive and said they will return next year. The team’s unity is one reason for the return, Puaca said.

“It’s like they’re family to me now,” she said. “We’ve become one.”

Hewitt and Boswell exemplify that family atmosphere. They have become extremely close both on and off the track, Boswell said.

“When we first started, I thought she was the most intimidating of all the girls,” Boswell said. “As we got into it, I figured out that she is one of the most supportive people that I knew. ... It’s really been a treat to know her.”

Hewitt said she is proud of her team and of the accomplishments she has had on and off the bike. She sees nothing but a bright future for her rookies and the team she helped form three years ago.

“I think it’s an awesome experience,” she said. “After only three years being around, we’ve become a better-known team. I think we’ll have success for years to come.”