After ITTs, riders focus on Miss-N-Out strategy

The setting remains the same, but a shift in mentality and philosophy awaits the female riders competing in Saturday’s Miss-N-Out competition.

This second Spring Series event will begin at noon Saturday on the track at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

With teams having completed Individual Time Trials on Wednesday, which featured riders alone on the track competing only against the clock, Miss-N-Out presents a varying degree of difficulty.

While riders will not compete with their teams, they will be placed in heats of six to 10 riders separated by gender.

Emma Caughlin, a Teter rider who has placed in the top 10 of ITTs for three consecutive years, said her mindset entering Miss-N-Out doesn’t change tremendously and that she is excited about the opportunity to compete.

“I try not to get too anxious or nervous about it because it’s only a four-lap set, and it’s only 2 1/2 minutes,” Caughlin said. “Miss-N-Out is more of just a fun thing, and it works out how it works out. I’m excited to see how it goes.

“It’ll be interesting to see how it goes because we haven’t had a lot of time on the track this spring.”

While Caughlin sees Miss-N-Out as more of a relaxed event than ITTs, she said it has the potential to weed out the grizzled, experienced riders from those with minimal or no experience.

“There’s more strategy in Miss-N-Out, so it separates who has raced before from the girls who are new, because the girls who are new don’t really understand the strategy behind Miss-N-Out,” Caughlin said.

Most importantly, it will give last year’s eighth-place ITT finisher and her Teter squad the opportunity to prove they are a threat.

“The event will show how we can compete against the other girls who will be on the track during the race,” Caughlin said. “If we have multiple girls from our team in the finals, it will show the depth of our team. And we’re all strong enough to get to the finals, which is awesome.”

Possessing quality team depth is an attribute only a select few teams can boast, though nothing trumps experience in an event such as Miss-N-Out, per Delta Gamma’s Emily Loebig, who is back for another shot at the event.

The necessary knowledge and understanding of the strategy within the Miss-N-Out competition was also a focal point for Loebig.

“The experience I have gained in the event is really helpful,” Loebig said. “This event, more than any other, is more about strategy. It’s not just about pure strength and talent, so having experience going into it is important.”

Because most riders will find themselves in various circumstances during the women’s Little 500 race on Apr. 19, gaining a grasp of the tactical elements is paramount.

“You have to know how to position yourself well and to conserve energy when you can, so that you can go as far as you can,” Loebig said. “You never what you’re going to be doing on race day, whether you’ll be riding by yourself or in a pack and knowing how to handle your bike well.”