The tall posts illuminated Bill Armstrong Stadium, shining down on the cyclists for the nighttime start of the Individual Time Trials. The cyclists raced around the track determined to make their mark in the Little 500 spring series.
Following inclement weather that postponed the time trials from April 2 to April 9, the 215 riders rolled out to the track.
The time trials offer a unique opportunity for riders and their teams to gauge individual performances, with Wednesday's results being crucial for coaches.
Throughout the night, racers vied for top spots on the leaderboard, only to be overtaken time and again. Each race saw a new contender in pole position, but everything changed when a freshman seized first place and held onto it, never relinquishing her lead.
For freshman Alpha Chi Omega rider Libby Lewis, Wednesday’s trials were a crucial part of preparing for the Little 500 race. She relied on her training to keep a steady pace in her first individual time trial.
"By the third lap, I was like, ‘I'm done, this is over,'” Lewis said. “But then I just was like, okay, Libby, you can go ... My legs were killing me, I was just like, ‘dig a little deeper.’"
Just before the clock climbed to two minutes, Lewis darted across the line for her fourth and final lap of the run. Her teammates who just finished their heat, cheered her on as she rounded the track.
Coming to the closing bend, Lewis pushed across the line just eclipsing the 2:40 mark as the clock read 2:39, unofficially placing her in first place.
“We worked so hard, every practice — we laugh, we giggle, but we also, we train hard,” Lewis said. “My teammates really know how to push me. I can push them. We work all together, and it's just, it's been awesome.”
Lewis’s preparation gave her the confidence to compete at the highest level, knocking off the best returning Little 500 riders. Senior Novus rider Dorothy Curran-Munoz placed in second place with a time of 02:42.53 — a position she earned in the individual time trials in 2024 as well. She improved her race score by 00:02.91 this year, a mark that would have netted her a victory in the prior year's race.
Lewis also comes from a family of Little 500 racers, from whom she credits gaining her cycling experience.
Her father, Cory Lewis, competed in the races from 1992-96 and won with Phi Gamma Delta in 1995. Her mother, Erin Lewis, rode the qualifications with Kappa Alpha Theta, her team won in her junior season in 1995 as well. Additionally, her father's brother, Troy Lewis, also rode for Phi Gamma Delta.
"My parents definitely gave me a lot of help with everything, kind of like, taught me everything I needed to know about cycling, which helps," Lewis said.
Her race time held, but not without drama, as senior Novus rider Dorothy Curran-Munoz, who raced in the following heat, posted a 2:39 time. When the times were made official, Libby was named champion by a slim margin of 0.40 seconds, with an official score of 2:39.22.
Libby made history by becoming the first women's freshman rider to win the time trials.
Senior Chloe Eades, Lewis’ teammate, placed third in the time trials with a time of 2:41.28.
Lewis and her teammates eagerly anticipate race day on April 25 following standout performances in the top three and strong showings from the rest of the riders. Junior Grace Howard finished 20th with a time of 2:46.89, Junior Ellie Marsella secured 25th with 2:48.91, Sophomore Maryclaire Swanson came in 30th with 2:50.46, Sophomore Emma Nelson finished 36th with 2:53.94, and Freshman Joanna Clohessy completed the race in 178th place with 3:30.01.
The team's sixth-place finish March 29 in the qualifications is another marker of success for a team with a strong history in the race. Alpha Chi Omega has participated in the Women's Little 500 race 30 times out of 36 since the race’s inception in 1988. Despite never winning, Alpha Chi Omega has consistently placed in the top 10 since 2012, excluding the 2020 race canceled because of COVID-19.
Moving forward, Alpha Chi Omega looks to reign champion in the Little 500 for the first time in team history, following in Lewis’ parents' footsteps.
“We're just going to keep grinding for these next two and a half weeks and see what happens," Lewis said.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to properly identify the name of the stadium that hosted Individual Time Trials.
