A trio of cyclists stayed close together in a pack, moving into a line one after another on each turn. Each rider took a turn moving to the front of the group to bear more of the wind. The group yelled “inside” as they flew past other riders, leaning low over their handlebars. When their faster set was over, they slowed down, moved to the edge of the track to pedal through the recovery set. As they rode leisurely, the detailing on their black kits was fully visible. Each had multi-colored accent stripes and letters spelling “Delta Gamma” across the front.
The cinder track housed inside Bill Armstrong Stadium was alive. After months of practicing indoors on stationary rollers, the weather finally permitted cycling teams to take to the Little 500 track for spring workouts.
Eventually, the group finished their workout and headed to their pit, yelling “coming out” to alert other riders as they pulled off the track. Senior Caitlin May dismounted her bike and instructed her sophomore teammates to move into practicing exchanges.
Anna Witte took off running with her bike. She was working on perfecting her mount, something she didn’t have much experience practicing. She ran and jumped onto her bike, attempting to seamlessly get one leg over the seat, secure both feet on the pedals and pick up speed. She wobbled and took a moment to regain balance before pedaling an easy lap around the track. She tried again, applying feedback from Caitlin to not stutter step.
Eventually they moved into single-bike exchanges. Alyssa Gray positioned herself in front of the pit as Witte took off around the track. As she approached, she signaled for an exchange and the stationary rider started running with her hands outstretched, attempting to blindly take the bike.
“Don’t look back,” Caitlin yelled.
***
Only 37 years have passed since the inaugural Women’s Little 500, yet so much has changed. Instead of throwing teams together at the last minute and having no knowledge of how to practice, riders compete in events year-round and execute training plans created by their coaches.
And unlike in 1988, when women entered the field on race day sporting their team names on their racing kits for the first time, today women take the track knowing they represent more than just their team. They represent teams with storied track histories dating back years, even decades.
Teams like Delta Gamma have a long history in the race, as it has competed since the inaugural competition. The team has finished in the top five for the last nine years and has four victories to date, making it one of the most consistent and decorated teams in the women’s field. These wins are talked about often by coaches and riders, as well as the individuals who contributed to this long legacy. As a result, current and incoming riders understand the history and what they are a part of.
Caitlin knew of the Little 500 and just how meaningful its history was before arriving in Bloomington. Her mom, Linnea May — one of her biggest role models — competed in the race for two years during her time as a student.
***
Linnea was a freshman at IU when talk of the first Women’s Little 500 spread across campus. She was part of the club gymnastics team after years of training as a gymnast, but ultimately decided she wanted to move on from the sport. While Linnea took a step back from gymnastics, she still wanted to stay involved. She joined forces with a few friends from her dorm, Teter, and registered as an independent team. When the idea first came to mind, Linnea didn’t even own a bike.
She and her friends scrambled to find a coach and figure out how to train for the race. Alongside the other newly formed female teams, they largely taught themselves the necessary skills.
On the day of the race, Linnea took in the large crowd cheering on 30 teams, including hers, as they raced around the track for the first time.
“I just remember thinking ‘This is really cool. I don’t know if I'll ever be a trailblazer for anything else,’ Linnea said. "I mean, it was pretty amazing.”
Linnea returned to the track for the first time since her days as a student in 2023, this time to cheer on her daughter, Caitlin, in her Little 500 debut. She and her husband, who competed in the Little 500 for Sigma Chi, watched Caitlin and the Delta Gamma bike team finish fourth.
Caitlin, co-captain of Delta Gamma, was a year-round multisport athlete in high school. When she went through the sorority rush process her freshman year, she kept Little 500 in mind, seeing it as an opportunity to remain active. After joining Delta Gamma and completing her rookie season as a freshman, she raced for the first time as a sophomore.
“Race day was the best day of my life,” Caitlin said. “My parents were so excited.”
This year, as the lone senior and only member of the team with race experience, her role as a leader is crucial. However, she can lean on the support of teammates, past and present, and the Delta Gamma alumni network.
The team’s two coaches, Katherine Free and Kensington Knowling, have experienced winning, as they were on the 2021 Delta Gamma championship team. The pair is responsible for making the team’s training plans and keeping the riders on track throughout the year. They meet virtually with the group every week when they’re not in town. They also serve as valuable liaisons between the current riders and bike team alumni.
Unlike independent teams that might struggle to receive funding, Greek teams with long histories, especially successful ones, receive significant alumni support. Alumni make sure the current team is well-equipped with the necessities and go as far as to take the team out for meals when they’re in town.
That support is in no way limited to funding. Alumni show up every year at the race to cheer on the current team and always make themselves available for advice or questions. They provide words of encouragement the night before the big race when the Delta Gamma bike team gathers in the house movie room to watch a video crafted by riders in years past. In it, the women wish them luck and send well wishes before the big day.
***
On March 29, qualifications for the men’s and women’s races were underway in Bloomington. Each team had three opportunities to complete four laps among all its riders and execute a faultless exchange between each.
As the Delta Gamma riders entered the field, their cheering section of sorority sisters erupted in excitement. They approached the track, and Caitlin, the lead rider, mounted her bike. After completing her lap, she exchanged with sophomore Morgan Heim and immediately started to cheer her on. Heim exchanged with sophomore Alyssa Gray, who sped around the track and pulled up fast for her exchange with junior Bridget Pfau. The pair ended up just barely outside the exchange zone, and the yellow flag shot up to signal their first attempt was invalid.
Simultaneously, in Fairfield, Connecticut, Linnea tuned into a livestream of the qualifications on her television. She anxiously watched as the girls departed the track and headed back to the warmup area to regroup before their second attempt. She hoped they could come back mentally from a fault that occurred so close to the end of a clean run.
She yelled at the TV, cheering on Caitlin as she led off the team again. With every fast lap and flawless exchange, Linnea grew more excited. As the last exchange between Gray and Pfau was executed without error, she shouted and watched Pfau soar around the track for the final lap. Pfau crossed the finish line and secured Delta Gamma the fastest time of the day. As her daughter’s team took the pole position, Linnea burst into tears.
The team’s top time withstood the rest of qualifications, meaning the girls will sport bright green jerseys on race day and line up in the first row in the innermost on the track.
Linnea and her family will return to Bloomington for the Women’s Little 500 on April 25 to support Caitlin in her last race.
“I told her, ‘I just want you to go out and have a good time,’” Linnea said. “That is the bottom line. You’re out there, you have worked so, so hard. Just enjoy it. Really take it all in because it goes by so quickly."
