Author: robbyhoward

Riders make guest radio appearances

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As several of you have figured out, I (Robby), host a sports talk radio show on WIUX. On Tuesday, we had four riders on to help us preview the race. Brenna McGinn (Kappa Alpha Theta), Rob Lee (Phi Delta Theta), Emma Caughlin (Teter) and Chris Craig (Beta Theta Pi) all joined us.

Here are the links to those separate interviews:

McGinn: http://wiux.org/blog/2014/04/22/interview-with-brenna-mcginn-of-kappa-alpha-theta-on-the-tall-trio/

Lee: http://wiux.org/blog/2014/04/22/rob-lee-of-phi-delt-in-studio-with-the-tall-trio/

Caughlin: http://wiux.org/blog/2014/04/22/emma-caughlin-of-teter-cycling-calls-into-the-tall-trio/

Craig: http://wiux.org/blog/2014/04/22/chris-craig-of-beta-theta-pi-on-the-tall-trio/

 

First-year team Ski rides its way to the top

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Natalie Laser can’t contain the emotion. She’s visibly excited, wearing a wide smile across her face and her eyes as bright as the afternoon sun. Her first real jersey just came in.

It’s April 2, 23 days away from race day – the very first race day in Ski Club Cycling history. And it’s the day those very first jerseys have just come in. Of course, that meant the team had to change immediately, despite it being the middle of practice.

“Look at our new jerseys!” she said. “Aren’t they awesome?!”

For Ski, a first-year team with four rookie riders that did not come together until January, everything about the track, the bikes, the race is reason for excitement.

Just earlier in the day, back before the team had its actual jerseys, the team had been pondering a question about the bike. All four riders – Laser, Alex Benigni, Megan Huibregtse and Ashley King – are about the same height. Does this mean they should use just one bike on race day? Could they do that? Is that a good idea?

They’re not sure right now. But they giggle at the realization. It’s another exciting thought. It’s another new thought.

But the most exciting moment came on March 29, just four days before. It was Quals. It was a moment of triumph. It was a blur. It was exciting.

“I replay it in my head it was so exciting,” Laser said.

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IU Nursing rider Lauren Gill “now semiconscious,” off ventilator

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Little 500 Race Director Jordan Bailey relayed information about injured IU Nursing rider Lauren Gill directly from the Gill family to 33to1 Monday evening.

Gill, who remains at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, no longer requires the assistance of a ventilator and is “semiconscious,” according to a statement issued by the family. She remains in critical condition, but is no longer hooked up to as many machines, which is the first positive step, the family said. The full extent of the injury to her brain is still unknown, but “there are some promising signs,” the family said.

The full statement from the family, via Bailey:

“Lauren is now semiconscious and has been taken off the ventilator, but she remains in critical condition. The extent of the injury to her brain still cannot be fully assessed, but there are some promising signs. We hope to learn a little more each day. Her recovery will likely take several weeks or months. We ask that everyone continue to pray for her.”

Gill was injured in a practice race on Thursday, landing on her head. She was airlifted to Methodist Hospital.

There is a “Lauren Gill Recovery Fund” to help support the Gill family. You can donate to that campaign here. As of publication, the fund has already raised more than $4,400 in less than a week.

 

Teter to wear white jersey for second straight year

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Coming into Sunday, Teter needed four points to tie Alpha Chi Omega in the Spring Series standings. It would need to beat AXO to accomplish that feat.

Teter looked to be off to a good start to that when it recorded an 8:20.57 — by far besting the top time at the moment.

But then AXO followed with a 8:19.46.

The challenge was on. The two would meet in the finals with the winner taking the Spring Series crown.

If Teter won the finals, it would tie AXO in the points standings. The tiebreaker goes to the top finisher in Team Pursuit.

And Teter won that tiebreaker.

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Black Key Bulls win Spring Series, will wear white jersey

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With both Beta Theta Pi and Phi Delta Theta not qualifying for the finals of Team Pursuit, Black Key Bulls, currently with the top men’s time, will win the Spring Series.

It is the first time in team-history Black Key Bulls will wear the white jersey on race day as winners of the Spring Series. The team started racing in 2006.

BKB entered Sunday with a 1-point lead on Beta and a 2-point lead on pole-sitter Phi Delta Theta. It ran a 9:21.16 at Team Pursuit, more than five seconds faster than the Phi Delts and 13 seconds faster than Beta. With Cutters running the second fastest time, it guarantees that neither Phi Delts or Beta will be in the final.

It is the second year in a row an independent team will wear the white jersey, with Cutters wearing it last year.

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Q&A: Beta Theta Pi’s Chris Craig

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His coach Eric Anderson called the performance the ITT version of the Dixie Highway Award. In 2013, Beta Theta Pi’s Chris Craig finished 111th overall at ITTs (yes, that’s one-hundred eleventh, not a typo). This year, he was faster than every other rider in the field. 111th to 1st.

How did he do it? How has his training changed? What, overall, has changed for him in the last year?

And what’s it like trying to defend Beta’s title after losing all four riders from last year’s championship team?

We asked. Craig answered.

While Craig is humbled by the win, he understands his team of four race rookies still has a lot to work on before race day.

33to1: How were the nerves going into Saturday?

Craig: I felt pretty relaxed. I didn’t really know quite what to expect going in, just wanted to try to perform my best. We’ve been training hard all year. i was just really excited to get out on the track. With the rain delay and everything like that, I was just ready to get out there.

33to1: Was that weird having ITTs pushed back four days?

Craig: We had to adjust for it. We were considering doing a race over the weekend and we had to cancel that and stay here and train. Things did work out how we hoped it would, though. We felt good going into the day.

33to1: When you completed your ITT run, did you have any idea that you did sub-2:23? (Craig won ITTs with a 2:22.98)

Craig: No, actually. I thought I was around a high 2:23. I actually wasn’t too sure how well the run was going half way through until I was getting yelled at by Eric (Anderson) saying that I was on pace to break 2:24. That really pumped me up for the last lap and I just went all out. 

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Q&A: Kappa Alpha Theta’s Brenna McGinn

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Brenna McGinn is a name that you might not recognize — after all, she is a rookie — but it’s a name you need to learn quickly to get ready for this year’s Little 500.

McGinn, a senior riding for Kappa Alpha Theta, just picked up cycling this year. She was a competitive cheerleader in high school, but never ran track or cross country, the sport of choice for several Little 500 riders. In fact, she admits she forgot how to ride a bike the summer before coming to IU.

But despite her newness, McGinn has picked up riding immediately. She finished fifth overall at ITTs, the top rider outside of the No. 1 heat.

We asked McGinn to tell us how she’s gotten to where she is today, and what’s made her successful at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

33to1: What were the nerves like before ITTs?

McGinn: They were pretty high just because ITTs were supposed to be on Wednesday. I felt really prepared on Wednesday because I had been doing ITTs and then the weather kinda screwed that up. The weather continued to screw the track up, so I hadn’t gotten to do an ITT since Tuesday. So I was nervous about my pacing and, I mean, I got to see my teammates kill it all day so that just made me more amped up.

I guess I didn’t really get crazy nervous until I was on the warm up bike and I realized that so many people were watching and it is an individual thing, my team isn’t there with me. That’s when it started kicking in a lot. 

33to1: Was that the best time you had ever done on your ITTs? How did that compare to your practice times?

McGinn: My fastest time I put up before my ITT was on Monday and it was 2:46 (McGinn’s official ITT run on Saturday was 2:42.97). I was happy with that. I knew that that would’ve landed me seventh last year, and you’re not supposed to compare times at all, but it was a little bit of a confidence boost going into it.

The track was so fast. I saw that in the times all day. My teammates all killed it. They all bested their own times. That was definitely a personal record for me. I felt good, ya know, after I started feeling things again.

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W2W4: Women’s ITTs

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Last year’s returners from the top 10: Aryn Doll (3) – Chi Omega, Emma Caughlin (6) – Teter, Kelsey Tharnstrom (8) – Alpha Chi Omega, Ashton DeHahn (10) – Teter

Last year’s returners from the top 20: Tabitha Sherwood (15) – Collins, Kaitlyn Glennon (17) – Alpha Sigma Alpha

Others to keep an eye on: Kate McDougal – Kappa Alpha Theta, Jenny Goodwin – Kappa Kappa Gamma, Jackie Kober – Phi Mu, Bonnie Mailey – Cru, Anna DeBoer – Cru, Lyndi Hollis – Cru

Key heats:

5:20 p.m. – Doll, Caughlin, Tharnstrom, Sherwood

5:10 p.m. – DeHahn, Glennon, McDougal, Goodwin

5:00 p.m. – Mailey, Kober, Hollis, Corinne Reynolds

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W2W4: Men’s ITTs

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Last year’s returners from the top 10: Paul Smith (3) – Delta Tau Delta, Rob Lee (4) – Phi Delta Theta

Last year’s returners from the top 20: Jimmy Rosati (12) – Black Key Bulls, Jacob Miller (13) – Black Key Bulls, Charlie McClary (14) – Phi Gamma Delta, Brian Arfmann (17) – Sigma Chi, Wes Ring (20) – Phi Delta Theta

Others to keep an eye on: Luke Momper – Delta Tau Delta, Brian Depasse – Cutters, Toby Kemp – Delta Sigma Pi, Thomas Wimmer – Sigma Phi Epsilon, Nick Torrance – Sigma Phi Epsilon

Key heats:

5:25 p.m. – Smith, Lee, Miller, McClary

5:15 p.m. – Rosati, Arfmann, Ring, Momper

5:05 p.m. – Kemp, Wimmer, Depasse, Devin O’Leary

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Jordan Bailey interview on WIUX

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For those of you who don’t know, I also host a sports talk radio show on WIUX on Tuesday evenings. Last night, we had race director Jordan Bailey on to talk about Quals, ITTs and some of the surprise teams he’s seen so far this year.

I think it’s a pretty fun interview, but hey, I’m biased. Talk a listen for yourself at the link here.