After crossing the finish line, junior rider Bailey Cappella threw her hands in the air as sweat ran down her face. Her teammates ran to embrace one another while the crowd erupted with cheers from fans, alumni and friends who had followed the team’s journey all year long.
Cappella and the rest of her Kappa Alpha Theta teammates cemented their place in history Friday by winning the 37th annual women’s Little 500 race at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The team securing back-to-back victories and its 10th title overall. With this win, Theta became the first women’s team to reach double-digit championships since the race began in 1988.
“It’s just such an honor with all the alumni standing behind us and the legacy before us. We’ve never been prouder,” sophomore rider Greta Heyl said after the race. “It is an incredible team with the best support system.”
Despite their dominant finish, Theta wasn’t a clear frontrunner for much of the 100-lap race.
But with just 15 laps remaining, Theta began making its move. The team’s strategy, teamwork and experience kicked into high gear as they surged forward, closing the gap with precision and control.
On the final lap, Cappella launched into a sprint that put her out in front of Alpha Chi Omega’s Libby Lewis and Novus Cycling’s Dorothy Curran-Muñoz. Entering turn three, Cappella found the path she needed, passing Lewis and securing the lead as she powered through the final stretch and crossed the finish line first, the same honor she had in last year’s race.
Theta entered the race after placing third in qualifications, but its veteran riders and mental toughness proved to be their greatest assets when it mattered most.
“I think it’s a mental race too, like you can do all the physical training, but just knowing how to be in a bike race, there are so many variables, there’s a lot of things that can happen,” junior rider Claire Tips said. “But, these girls, I have so much faith in them and this program.”
As the crowd erupted and fans flooded the track, the four riders embraced with tears in their eyes and smiles stretched across their faces, still trying to wrap their heads around what they had just accomplished.
Tips, Heyl and junior Greta Weeks didn’t know what to say.
The Little 500 began in 1951, but in its early years, no all-women teams qualified among the top 33. Instead, the Mini 500, a tricycle race introduced in 1954, served as a recreational alternative for women, though many hoped for a more competitive opportunity.
In 1987, four members of Kappa Alpha Theta attempted to qualify for the men’s race, placing 34th and missing the cut. Determined to create a space for female cyclists, they worked with the Indiana University Student Foundation to launch the first women’s race the following year.
Over 30 teams signed up, and with their experience and visibility, Theta became the face of the event and the team to beat. They placed first in qualifications but finished nine seconds behind Wilkie Sprint, who won the inaugural women’s Little 500 in 1988.
Earlier this season, Tips reflected on Theta’s foundational role in growing the event and supporting other teams. She mentioned that Wilkie Sprint started by getting a few friends together and asking Theta for help in an Indiana Daily Student article on April 23.
After stepping onto the podium and receiving their trophies, the four Theta riders made their way back onto the track for a final lap. Their sorority sisters and fans, decked out in the team’s signature yellow, followed behind, cheering them on in celebration of yet another historic win.
