Theta rookies continue tradition

When junior Amy Dickman of Kappa Alpha Theta was deciding whether to compete in her second Little 500 this year, there was a little bit of uncertainty behind the decision.

The uncertainty did not reside in the tradition of Theta cycling, as her team has won four women’s races and has never placed below seventh. Instead, the question was who would join Dickman — Theta’s captain and only returning cyclist.

The answer? Rookies Kacey McArthur, Christine Beyer, Kathleen Chelminiak and Rachel Metherd.

For this group of rookies, the challenge of building on last year’s fourth place finish began by first learning what it means to compete for Theta in Little Five.

“It’s a lifestyle choice,” Dickman said. “We teach the new girls that it’s a privilege to ride for Theta because we are consistently good and have worked really hard to reach that success.”

While training for the race started in the summer and fall, McArthur looked at the team’s winter trip to Cape Coral, Fla., as the point when she began to see some of the strengths and weaknesses of her team.

“It was a tough week,” McArthur said. “They pounded us out and gave us these exercises that I know I wasn’t fully prepared for myself, but it was a good way to get to know each other individually instead of just as riders.”

Beyer added that the alumna that trained with the team in Cape Coral won the race for Theta in 2003 and has been an outlet of support throughout.

“With her just riding with us every day, it gave us more motivation to keep working because she said our hard work then would pay off in April,” Beyer said. “She wanted us to make sure we knew that even though we are rookies, we have just as good of a shot as anyone else on that track.”

While the lack of experience may yield a bit of a learning curve come race day, Dickman said she remembered the support from her house last year as what set Theta apart.

“I remember last year waiting by the gate before I went into the infield to warm up, and all of the Thetas were walking up the hill cheering and chanting,” Dickman said. “Three girls next to me who weren’t in Theta, asked, ‘Does your whole house come?’
“I said, ‘Yeah, Little 5 is what we do.’”