With under two weeks until “The World’s Greatest College Weekend” takes place in Bloomington, the Little 500 team pursuit took place on Saturday amidst crazy weather conditions.
It was another tough day at the track, as the conditions were unpleasant. It was a cold afternoon at Bill Armstrong Stadium, similar to what was seen during the qualifications two weeks ago. On Saturday, it was just as chilly, and even at one point it was sleeting, making the already difficult track conditions even more tricky to maneuver. Temperatures hovered around the mid-40’s for the majority of the afternoon
All twenty-two teams that qualified for the Little 500 participated in the pursuit races Saturday, which consisted of up to four riders on each team racing 15 laps around the dirt track. Once three bikers crossed the finish line, the time would stop. Each race would start with each team on the soccer field, running to their bikes once the horn sounded and beginning their 3.75 mile journey.
After the eleven pursuits on the women’s side, Kappa Alpha Theta and Melanzana Cycling had the two best times, meaning they would face off in the final. Kappa Alpha Theta, which had the best time during qualifications, defeated Delta Gamma with a time of 11:07.84. Melanzana Cycling finished with the next best time, crossing the line after 11:25.35, ahead of SKI.
Related: [Phi Kappa Psi takes first in men’s Little 500 Team Pursuits]
In the end, Kappa Alpha Theta came away with the victory, as the quartet of Olivia Hubbart, Abby Hummels, Audrey La Valle, and Jessica Schlueter crossed the finish first with a time of 11:03.96, ahead of Melanzana Cycling’s team of Abby Green, Sarah Qu, Abby Teed, and Grace Williams. The team finished with a time of 11:11.07, over 14 seconds faster than their first run of the day, but it was not enough to beat the qualification winners.
Kappa Alpha Theta will be the favorites for the 34th running of the Little 500, scheduled for April 22nd at 4 p.m.
