It’s that time of year once again. Empty your calendar, as the “World’s Greatest College Weekend” returns to Bloomington for the 2026 Little 500.
Thirty-three men’s and women’s cycling teams will compete in 200-lap and 100-lap races to be crowned champions and hoist the Borg-Warner Trophy at the center of Bill Armstrong Stadium. Kappa Alpha Theta and Black Key Bulls are both aiming to capture a threepeat in their respective races.
The 38th edition of the women’s Little 500 will start at 4 p.m. April 24, and the 75th edition of the men’s Little 500 begins at 2 p.m. April 25.
Rules and terms to know
The Pit: Located on the edges of the track with the fan stands, each team of riders will have its own 16-foot pit selected in order of team qualification. A maximum of six people can be in the pit at a time, and no exchanges take place within this 16-foot space.
Exchange: During the race, teams swap out riders while either keeping the same bike or switching. The women are required to complete at least five exchanges over the duration of the race, while the men must make at least 10. Each exchange takes place within a 32-foot designated pit area, and failure to make the exchange within this zone will result in the original rider having to continue the rest of the
lap alongside a two-second penalty.
Penalty: Any team in violation of the rules will receive a penalty, with the minimum penalty time being two seconds and a maximum of 20 seconds. This time must be served in the penalty box, located near the start line, and must be served within 10 laps of the infraction.
Line-up: The order of the riders for the pace lap.
Pace Lap: A lap led by a “pace car” prior to the first lap which slowly progresses in speed.
Pole Position: The team that starts the race in the first position.
Yellow Jersey: The reigning champions of last year’s race will don a bright yellow jersey. Kappa Alpha Theta (women’s) and Black Key
Bulls (men’s) won’t be hard to spot.
Green Jersey: The team which qualifies in the pole position can rep a green jersey. Kappa Alpha Theta and Cutters won the women’s and men’s qualifying races, respectively. However, Kappa Alpha Theta will wear the yellow jersey instead.
Bike: The IU Student Foundation provides each team with two standard bikes. Teams are not allowed to alter the bikes in any way.
Drafting: Riding behind another rider to reduce wind resistance and conserve energy.
Burning: Expelling all remaining energy prior to an exchange.
Borg-Warner Trophy: Nicknamed “Baby Borg,” the trophy is a replica of the fa-
mous Indianapolis 500 trophy. The trophy is presented to the winning team at the podium following the conclusion of the race.
Flags: There are several flags officials may use to control the race. Failure to adhere to any flag will result in a two-second penalty.
• Green: Start of the race
• Red: The race has been stopped, usually for a crash or other track hazard Yellow: Ride cautiously, no passing Black: Ride on outside of the track
• Blue w/ orange stripe: Rider must allow other rider to pass White: Start of the final lap
• Checkered flag: End of the race
Officials IUSF Little 500 race director: Peter Schulz, the person responsible for all racing activities. Judge: Must report all race infractions and irregularities to the chief steward. There are 17 spread throughout the track. Chief steward: Responsible for the conduct of the race. They have the power to assess penalties and disqualify riders. Chief observers: Stationed above the action in observation towers. Three observers help the chief steward with rule enforcement. Safety officials: Responsible for ensuring the safety of all riders during the competition.
How IUSF keeps Little 500 moving behind the scenes
IUSF plays a major role in organizing Little 500 and supporting campus initiatives
By Ripra Gupta riprgupt@iu.edu
One of the most anticipated times at Indiana University is Little 500 weekend, when students, faculty and Bloomington residents come together to celebrate a campus tradition that dates back to 1951. But the cyclists aren’t the only ones who keep the weekend moving. The IU Student Foundation plays a central role in organizing and supporting Little 500 festivities.
IUSF, the student arm of the IU Foundation, was founded in 1950 by former IU Foundation President Howard S. “Howdy” Wilcox Jr. A year after IUSF’s founding, Wilcox came up with the idea for a bicycle race after seeing students race outside a dorm and viewing it as a way to generate support for the foundation. He modeled Little 500 after the Indianapolis 500 as a tribute to his father, Howard Wilcox Sr., who won the race in 1919. This year marks the 75th running of the men’s Little 500 race. The women’s race started in 1988.
“I hope people understand that the race is so much more than two days in April, and that the impact our students have goes far beyond being on that track or helping set up for race day.”
Emily Carrico, IUSF director
IUSF’s mission is to give students the opportunity to help generate private support for the university and make the campus a better place by hosting an array of events throughout the semester, including concerts
and leadership events. One of its main responsibilities each year, however, is organizing Little 500. The process of putting the event together begins months in advance and requires many spokes to keep the wheel turning, from Little 500 riders to general members, captains and the steering committee. Emily Carrico, IUSF director, said she is involved in many parts of organizing the event, particularly on the administrative side. Her work includes supporting student leaders, communicating with alumni, manag-
ing sponsor relations and handling other operational tasks, as well as working with the 75th committee, which was established to celebrate the race’s 75th running. The committee has helped decide on decor, arrange parade cars from different years, secure VIPs for the event, plan alumni interactions and design merchandise.
“As director, I help with a lot of our donors and sponsors and with supporting our students to make sure they are ready,” Carrico said.
IUSF’s pre-race operations help set up the stadium
by making sure teams have the correct pit boards, the pits are in place and the video board is ready.
The race itself began in 1951 to raise scholarship funds for IU students, a purpose it served through 2023.
Now, Little 500 supports the Students Helping Students campaign, in which IUSF students select and help carry out a campus initiative they believe needs attention and affects their peers.
The campaign runs from qualifications through race weekend. During that time, students host more than 20
end. She said
partnership events, including food drives, craft nights and more. The campaign is also funded through ticket sales, teams and donors. In the past, the funds have supported initiatives such as the food insecurity fund, purchasing a vehicle for the Crimson Cupboard, furnishing the Wellness House and supporting satellite Counseling and Psychological Services locations on campus. This year, IUSF is raising money for the Office of Basic Needs, which helps provide IU students with access to essentials such as housing, food, transportation and health
wants
500 to be not only an
able weekend for students and the greater Bloomington community, but also an event that has a significant impact on IU Bloomington’s campus. “I hope people understand that the race is so much more than two days in April, and that the impact our students have goes far beyond being on that track or helping set up for race day,” Carrico said.
IDS FILE PHOTO
IU Student Foundation members Michael Naughtin and Harvest Ham chip bikes to track and time riders during a practice session for Little 500 in 2018. IUSF was founded in 1950.
JIMMY RUSH | IDS
Cyclists race across the eventual finish line during the men’s Little 500 race on April 26, 2025, at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. The race was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
Howdy” Wilcox poses
The origins of Little 500
By Sydney Weber syaweber@iu.edu
The storied race behind “The World’s Greatest College Weekend” began 75 years ago, when Howard “Howdy” Wilcox Jr. drew inspiration from a group of students racing bikes around an Indiana University dormitory.
The mini race drew a crowd, and Wilcox, who was executive director of the IU Student Foundation, decided to harness the enthusiasm to raise money for student scholarships. The funds were specifically meant for working students, in order to “help those who are helping themselves,” as early slogans said.
The Little 500, as the name implies, is based on the Indianapolis 500 car race, which Wilcox’s father — also named Howard Wilcox — won in 1919. The younger Wilcox was skilled at public relations and headed up the first Little 500 race on May 12, 1951.
The South Hall Buccaneers of Collins Living
Learning Center won with a more than four-minute margin over the second-place team. There were 7,000 attendees and the event raised the equivalent of $73,000 in 2024’s money, according to My IU. By 1955, the Arbutus yearbook was already calling the event “an IU classic.” The tradition of hosting a concert began with IU Foundation Director Bill Armstrong in 1960, when musical quartet The Four Lads performed on the Woodlawn tennis courts. Since then, notable figures and groups like Bob Hope, Chicago, John Mellencamp and then-presidential candidate Barack Obama have made appearances at the race. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, students of broadcast professor Richard Yoakam provided Indy 500-style broadcasts, according to the Indiana Broadcast History Archive. The campus radio station, WIUS, also provided live coverage from the mid1960s on, and still does un-
der the call sign WIUX.
National coverage of the race, especially after the 1979 coming-of-age movie “Breaking Away,” led to enough donations to build a new stadium, which was eventually named the Bill Armstrong Stadium and is the current site of the race. The Little 500 was held in the 10th Street Stadium until 1980.
The women’s Little 500 has its roots in the 1980s, though Kathleen Cerajeski, an alternate for the Cravens B team, made history in 1976 as the first woman to be part of a men’s team.
In 1987, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority put forth a team that, while not qualifying due to having taken 34th out of 33 places, raised awareness that women wanted to race too. The first running of the women’s race took place the following year, with approximately 11,000 attendees and a victorious Willkie Spring team.
This year is the 75th men’s race and the 38th women’s race, and there’s still more history to be made.
How to stay safe during Little 500 weekend
By Will Tallackson wdtallac@iu.edu
Little 500 weekend is expected to bring large crowds to Bloomington and IU’s campus. The IU Police Department and IU Health said common risks during the weekend include excessive alcohol use, dehydration and navigating crowded environments, encouraging attendees to plan ahead and stay aware.
Drink responsibly Negative effects of alcohol use are some of the most common risks during Little 500 weekend, particularly at large gatherings and parties. People should avoid consuming multiple drinks in a short period of time, as rapid intake increases the risk of dangerous overconsumption and alcohol-related medical emergencies, Ethan Farmer, an emergency medicine physician with IU Health, said.
Farmer recommended consuming only one drink per hour and eating throughout the day to reduce negative effects. He added that drinking without food or hydration, or mixing alcohol with medications, increases the likelihood of illness or medical emergencies.
“Moderation is your friend,” Farmer said. Farmer also recommended drinking water consistently throughout the day, advising individuals to regularly consume 8-12 ounces in regular increments rather than waiting until they feel dehydrated.
He said alternating alcohol with water and eating meals helps maintain hydration. Waiting until you feel dehydrated can put the body at a disadvantage and increase the risk of lightheadedness, fatigue and dry mouth.
Know Indiana’s Lifeline Law
Indiana’s Lifeline Law protects individuals who call for medical help during an alcohol-related emergency, as well as the person experiencing the emergency. The law provides limited immunity from certain alcohol-related offenses, including public intoxication and underage possession or consumption.
To qualify for the law, other individuals present must remain at the scene, provide information requested from officers and cooperate with law enforcement. The law does not protect against more serious offenses, including distributing alcohol to minors, operating under the influence or possessing illegal drugs.
IUPD Public Information Officer Hannah Cornett said students and families should keep the law in mind and not hesitate to seek help in an emergency.
Recognize warning signs and stay aware in crowds
Recognizing when a situation becomes serious, particularly in crowded environments, can help prevent life-threatening emergencies.
Farmer said symptoms such as confusion, repeated vomiting or an inability to respond should not be ignored. He said individuals showing these warning signs should not be left
alone or told to sleep it off and instead require medical attention. Cornett encouraged people to look out for one another, while also planning ahead for safe rides home through designated drivers or rideshare services.
Stay safe on roads and use campus safety apps With increased traffic and visitors expected, Cornett advised both drivers and pedestrians to remain alert and aware of their surroundings. She urged drivers to slow down, follow posted speed limits and avoid distractions, and encouraged pedestrians and cyclists to stay attentive in busy areas.
Cornett also highlighted campus safety tools, including IU Notify, a campuswide emergency alert system that sends notifications about immediate safety threats. Students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled, while visitors can opt in by texting “SafeIU” to 77295. She additionally suggested downloading the Rave Guardian safety app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app provides access to emergency services, IU Notify alerts and a timer that alerts selected contacts if the user does not arrive at a destination by their expected timeframe.
LITTLE 500 75 YEARS
ARCHIVES Howard S. “Howdy” Wilcox served as president of the
Foundation and established
Look back at the unforgettable 2025 women’s race
By Will Kwiatkowski wdkwiatk@iu.edu
A year removed from the 37th running of the women’s Little 500, the 2025 race remains defined by a handful of pivotal moments that shaped both its outcome and its lasting significance.
Last year’s race day at Bill Armstrong Stadium opened with anticipation as teams prepared under thenclearing skies. By the time the race began, weather condition from rain that morning had settled, and the field of 33 teams rolled out tightly grouped, each looking to establish their positions early.
The first major turning point came almost immediately. On lap four, a crash in the back half of the pack brought down 15 riders, forcing an abrupt shift in the race’s trajectory. What had begun as a controlled start quickly became a test of recovery and adaptability. Several teams lost contact with the front, while others used the disruption to push forward and create separation.
In the laps that followed, a smaller group emerged at the front, taking advantage of the fractured field. Among them were Teter and Delta Gamma, both of which spent extended stretches setting the pace. WSR, competing with only two riders, also found itself near the front in the early states after capitalizing on the opening created by the crash, despite the long-term challenge of sustaining that position without a full rotation.
As the race settled, the early chaos gave way to a prolonged period of balance. No single team managed to fully break away, and the lead continued to shift as exchanges and positioning
dictated momentum. The field gradually consolidated into a smaller group of contenders, with each lap increasing the importance of efficiency and timing.
By the final quarter of the race, the decisive group had taken shape. Kappa Alpha Theta remained within striking distance, avoiding the spotlight through much of the race after qualifying third. The defending champions relied on patience and control, staying connected to the leaders while other teams absorbed the strain of setting the pace.
That approach set up one of the defining moments of the race. With roughly 15 laps remaining, Theta began to move forward, positioning itself firmly within the lead group as the intensity increased. The gap between contenders continued to shrink, leaving almost no margin for error.
By the final lap, six teams remained in contention, all separated by only seconds.
The race, which had been shaped by chaos early and control in the middle, came down to a tightly packed sprint where any mistake or opening could decide the outcome.
In the closing stretch, Theta’s then-junior Bailey Cappella found that opening. Moving through the final turns, she accelerated into the lead, gaining just enough separation to hold off the field. The finish was razorthin, with first, second and third place riders crossing within a second of one another, underscoring how little separated the top contenders after 100 laps.
The move secured the victory for Kappa Alpha Theta and capped a race that had remained undecided until its final moments. The
four riders — now senior
Bailey Cappella, junior Greta Heyl, senior Claire Tips and senior Greta Weeks — will run it back again this year in hopes of a three-peat.
The win carried historic weight. It marked Kappa Alpha Theta’s second consecutive title and its 10th championship. It became the first women’s team to reach double-digit victories since the race began in 1988. The result reinforced the program’s long-standing presence in the event.
Elsewhere, the race also highlighted the demands and unpredictability of Little 500. WSR’s effort stood out as one shaped by both adversity and persistence. The early crash and two-rider format lead by than junior Sophie Boller and then-senior Willow Thompson placed the team at a disadvantage that proved difficult to
overcome, yet it remained competitive for stretches before ultimately finishing in eighth.
The final standings reflected the depth of the field, with multiple teams still in contention deep into the race and the outcome undecided until the final sprint. The inability of any one team to separate itself highlighted the increasingly competitive nature of the women’s race.
Looking back, the 2025 edition is remembered less for sustained dominance and more for the moments that defined it: The early crash that reshaped the field, the gradual narrowing of contenders and a final lap that brought six teams together in a sprint decided by fractions of a second.
The women’s Little 500 race will return to Bill Armstrong Stadium at 4 p.m. April 24.
2025 men’s Little 500 in review
Black Key Bulls secured back-to-back wins
By Hayden Pope haypope@iu.edu
After bikes tangled and riders fell down in lap 81, Black Key Bulls dominated the rest of the way to finish as back-to-back winners in the 2025 men’s Little 500.
To start the race, Black Key Bulls held a pole position in row one, with Sigma Alpha Epsilon in the middle and 3PH Cycling on the outside. Following in row two were Sigma Phi Epsilon on the inside, Forest Cycling in the middle and Chi Alpha on the outside.
Row three consisted of Phi Delta Theta on the inside, Phi Gamma Delta in the middle and Sigma Nu on the outside, with the rest of the field bunched together behind them.
As the pace car pulled away and the green flag was waved, the riders were off.
On turn four in the early stages of the race, three teams were involved in an early crash in the back half of the pack. Phi Sigma
Kappa, Delta Sigma and Macro Cycling collided and fell behind. During the first 15 laps, six different teams held the lead.
After 60 laps, Phi Kappa Psi had a 4.7-second lead, with Delta Sig falling behind after serving a penalty.
With 119 laps to go, the yellow caution flag was waved as the riders went around turn one. The wipeout crash was caused by the Bears, and involved Forest, Phi Delt, CUTTERS, Sig Ep and FIJI, which all held strong positions in the race at that point.
Once the green flag was waved again with 116 laps remaining, Black Key Bulls, Delta Tau Delta, SAE, Chi Alpha and Human Wheels rounded out the top five.
Halfway through the race, Black Key Bulls, SAE and CUTTERS were all together in the top three with a healthy lead over the rest of the pack. By lap 140, it was a two-team race between Black Key Bulls and SAE.
CUTTERS was in third place, behind the top two by 11 seconds.
With 20 laps to go, the Black Key Bulls had a commanding 30-second lead over second place SAE, as it became a race for second and third place.
In the final laps, Black Key Bulls still held a significant advantage. SAE was behind first place by a full lap, but led third-place CUTTERS by 2 seconds with five laps to go.
Black Key Bulls senior captain Will Wagner crossed the finish line emphatically to secure a back-to-back win for his team. SAE, CUTTERS, Delta Tau Delta and Sigma Phi Epsilon rounded out the top five in the 74th edition of the men’s Little 500.
Black Key Bulls became the first back-to-back champions since CUTTERS in 2018 and 2019. The team will have a shot for a threepeat” in the 75th edition of the men’s Little 500, set for 2 p.m. April 25.
How Strava data drives Little 500 riders to stress and improvement
By Leonardo Vesperini lvesperi@iu.edu
Anticipation mounts as Indiana University marches closer to April 24, the start of the 2026 Little 500. Students have been thinking about how to celebrate the weekend, and athletes have been preparing their bodies for racing. But before the big day, much of the race is won in the months leading up to the wave of the green flag. While riders look superhuman speeding around the track on race day, they’ve been building their strength and fitness for months. Early morning rides, high intensity workouts and mental battles of comparison all make up a base of strength unseen by the spectators in the stands of Bill Armstrong Stadium. Every one of these aspects and more are kept track of in meticulous fashion by the athletes using recording software like Strava. Teams use these apps to keep track of everything from milage to
heart rate to power.
Through weeks of relentless training, the numbers help give athletes clarity and guidance about how their training is progressing.
“It allows me to keep tabs on [my fitness] and make sure that I’m continuing to grow,” sophomore rider Judah Nickoll said.
During his time with 3PH Cycling, Nickoll has been a part of a culture that uses apps like Strava, Trainer Road and Zwift for tracking activities and analyzing statistics after their rides end.
The team uses an in-app club on Strava to keep track of each other’s training and to make sure everyone’s on the same page during the week.
“It works really well with seeing where your teammates are at in the week in terms of their training and how much volume they have,” Nickoll said. These softwares give Nickoll access to an array of different
metrics surrounding his performance; measuring heart rate, power and cadence is crucial in his training program. When his coaches put together workouts for his team, different statistics will be more or less important depending on the time of year or target workout his coaches want the team to achieve.
“If it’s December, we’re doing much more long threshold work where we’re just trying to build fitness,” Nickoll starts. “Whenever we get into like February, March and April, it’s much more so sprinting, working in pace lines, a lot more of the quick, fast twitch muscle fiber type of workouts.”
If these programs were to disappear tomorrow, Nickoll thinks his activity tracking and connection to the team would suffer. He said he would switch to using Garmin as his primary tracker, but said the metrics and social aspect of Garmin pale in comparison to Strava. “I get to see my stuff, but
I’m not necessarily seeing my team’s,” he said. “I would be completely out of the loop on where everybody else was.”
While Strava gives Nickoll an opportunity to keep up with teammates’ training, the aspect of comparison also makes athletes focus more on what others are doing rather than their own improvement.
“It’s a social media,” Nickoll said. “You have to be careful about how you compare [yourself].”
Despite this, Nickoll says Strava and the digitalization of Little 500 training has revolutionized how riders train and prepare for race day. Even though comparison can be a negative, being able to check in on teammates and being aware of metrics while training has made athletes more aware of how to recover and improve.
Junior Jolie Eichorst of the women’s Chi Alpha team has had a similar experience to Nickoll, using training softwares when preparing to compete.
Chi Alpha also uses Strava to track their activities, but they use Garmin bike computers to track their activities and biometrics. For them, heart rate zones are crucial for making sure they’re within the zones their coaches want. Athletes of all sports use this to train at different intensities.
The team also pays attention to how long they can hold paces when doing workouts.
Eichorst and her team use Strava to follow each other and keep up with their training and see how they’re riding compared to fellow teammates and other riders.
She and her team also use the app to keep each other accountable and keep up a standard of effort. This adds a level of mental stress to her training.
“I feel like there is an expected average miles per hour that you should go whenever you go on rides,” Eichorst said. “But even when you’re doing a chill recovery ride, it feels like you
shouldn’t… upload that for other people to see, because it’s just not a hard enough effort to be respected in the community.”
Without Strava, Eichorst said a lot of the pressure to perform would disappear, resulting in an overall less stressful training experience.
“I don’t think that I would feel as pressured by other riders in order to, like, uphold a standard of effort,” Eichorst said. Even though training without the app would help alleviate the stress she feels, knowing people are watching helps keep her accountable. In the end, that helps her ride every day and improve by being consistent. As race day approaches, both Nickoll and Eichorst represent a larger shift in cycling culture toward a newfound focus on statistics and biometrics to train smarter. With Eichorst and Chi Alpha competing April 24, and Nickoll and 3PH Cycling set to race April 25, all their months of training will be put to the test.
FILE PHOTO | IDS
Little 500 riders crash into each other during the 2025 women’s Little 500 on April 25, 2025, at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. The crash took place in the fourth lap.
FILE PHOTO | IDS
Kappa Alpha Theta riders (from left to right) Greta Weeks, Greta Heyl, Bailey Cappella and Claire Tips hold up a bike after winning the women’s Little 500 race on April 25, 2025, at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. Kappa Alpha Theta won its 10th ever Little 500 race.
WOMEN’S TEAMSFRIDAY
MEN’S TEAMSSATURDAY
INDEX
Each year, three jersey colors are designated to certain teams. The white shirt goes to the winner of the Team Pursuit event, yellow is worn by last years’ winners and green is worn by the pole winners. Black Key Bulls placed first in qualifications. The team chose to wear yellow, but qualified for the green shirt as well.
WOMEN’S
2 3 4 5 6
MEN’S
Forest Cycling
Cinzano
Kappa Alpha Chi Omega CHAARG Cycling Phi Delta Theta
Each spring, more than 25,000 people arrive in Bloomington for what is known as “The World’s Greatest College Weekend” — the Little 500, the largest collegiate bike race in the United States.
But the 2026 Little 500 carries added significance. This year’s men’s race, scheduled for 2 p.m. April 25 at Bill Armstrong Stadium, will be the 75th rendition of the event.
Results from Qualifications on March 28 narrowed the men’s field to 33 teams. But only one will be crowned the champion
Here’s what to know ahead of the 2026 Little 500
Black Key Bulls enter
the 2026 Little 500 as the team to beat after securing back-to-back titles — the first team to repeat since CUTTERS in 2018 and 2019. In 2023, BKB failed to qualify for the race. But BKB engineered a dramatic turnaround, winning the event in 2024 and 2025. Most of the 2025 championship roster will return after the team graduated just one rider. This year’s roster features eight riders, including three seniors, four juniors and a sophomore. However, only four will compete in the Little 500. Despite returning much of its core, BKB struggled in “Spring Series” events. The back-to-back champions finished fifth at qualifications and failed to advance to the finals of the Team Pursuit by 2.19 seconds April 11.
Will BKB’s title run come to an end this year?
Perhaps its two biggest challengers are CUTTERS and Sigma Alpha Epsilon. CUTTERS owns 15 Little 500 titles — the most in event history. Inspired by the 1979 film “Breaking Away,” CUTTERS last won the event in 2023. While BKB has posted back-to-back first place finishes, CUTTERS has dominated the pre-race events. CUTTERS struggled at the 2025 qualifications, coming in at 12th before finishing the race in third place. This year, the team blazed to a 02:25.711 time at qualifications — the fastest mark of the pack — and more than 2.5 seconds faster than BKB.
CUTTERS carried that momentum into the Team Pursuit. The team took first place with a 9:00:12 finish
Close behind CUTTERS during the “Spring Series,” was SAE — last year’s runner-up. In 2025, it was a close contest between SAE and BKB through most of the race. Around Lap 170, SAE stopped for an exchange, allowing BKB to claim a four-second lead that continued to grow. But throughout this year’s “Spring Series,” SAE has shown it is set on reclaiming a top finish in the race. The team competed against CUTTERS in the Team Pursuit championship race, ultimately finishing second with a 9:12.69 time. SAE also placed second at qualifications, posting a 02:27.216 mark.
and
Riders to watch
The 2026 Little 500 Individual Time Trials on March 31 showcased
Two Sigma Phi Epsilon riders also stood out among the rest. Sophomore Drew Poplarski and senior Gus Kowalevsky tied for sixth with a 2:25:07 time in the Individual Time Trials — just five seconds behind Nass. Poplarski also claimed
some of the top riders in this year’s race. Three CUTTERS riders finished in the top five of the Individual Time Trials. Seniors Judah Thompson and Jake Zarov secured the first and second spots in the Individual time trials, respectively. Thompson has been a consistent force for CUTTERS throughout his career. The senior finished second in the Individual Time Trials in 2024 and 2025, before reaching the top spot with a 2:22.27 time in his final year. Thompson also won the 2026 Miss N Out on April 10. Zarov posted a secondplace time of 2:23.66 in the event. Meanwhile, freshman Leo Nelson Lee stopped CUTTERS from a 1-2-3 finish at the Individual Time Trials. Lee placed third with a 2:24.40
As competition closes in, Kappa Alpha Theta looks to 3-peat at 2026 Women’s Little 500
Since the inception of the women’s race, no team has ever won three consecutive championships
By Sean McAvoy semcavoy@iu.edu
Editor’s note: Leila Faraday previously worked at the IDS.
In 1987, four members of Indiana University’s Kappa Alpha Theta sorority narrowly failed to qualify for that year’s edition of the Little 500. Instead of trying to qualify for the event in 1988, the team created the first ever women’s Little 500 race in the then-37-year history of the tradition.
Now, 38 years later, Kappa Alpha Theta is on the precipice of history again after winning the 2024 and 2025 races. Since the inception of the women’s race, no team has ever won three consecutive championships. But as the riders take to the quarter mile track at Bill Armstrong Stadium on April 24, 32 other teams have a target on Kappa Alpha Theta’s back.
“I think I can speak for the whole team when I say, it’s obviously the thought in the back of our mind, but it’s not the pressing matter,” Kappa Alpha Theta senior Bailey Cappella said in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student. “I go out there and ride because I love it, and that’s what it should be.”
But a strong “Spring Series” from the defending champions can give them confidence heading into race day.
Kappa Alpha Theta finished qualifications in first with a time of 2:43.883, which gave the sorority pole position in front of Teter by
3.663 seconds. However, Theta came in third during Team Pursuit, missing out on the championship race by 2.89 seconds to Alpha Chi Omega’s 10:18.47 mark.
During the individual “Spring Series” events, Kappa Alpha Theta also produced strong showings.
Junior Greta Heyl secured a fourth-place finish at Individual Time Trials, as six riders from Theta placed inside the top 35 and three inside the top 10. At Miss N Out, Cappella finished fourth and Heyl took fifth.
“I think spring series is always a good reminder to keep pushing further,” Cappella said. “I think it’s a really good showing on our part, but also just a reminder to, you know, never let your foot off the gas, because there’s always somebody to chase.”
And the chasers are close behind Kappa Alpha Theta.
After Alpha Chi Omega finished last year’s Little 500 in second, it looks to win its first title in the sorority’s history. Since 2021, the team has placed inside the top 10 at every edition of the race.
“I think after last year, placing second, we all have proven to ourselves that it can be done,” Alpha Chi Omega sophomore Libby Lewis said at Little 500 Media Day. “It’s just a matter of, ‘OK, did we work hard enough?’”
Lewis has been a rising star in the Little 500 community after becoming the first freshman ever to win Individual Time Trials last year. Even though Teter senior Leila Faraday defeated
her at this year’s Individual Time Trials, Lewis avenged her loss to take home first place at Miss N Out. As a team, Alpha Chi Omega finished qualifications in third with a time of 2:47.911. The sorority was then beaten by Teter in the women’s championship race at Team Pursuit. Alpha Chi Omega dropped its 10:18.47 qualifying time by 8.25 seconds to 10:10.22. It’s a difference the team said they felt proud of during Media Day.
However, Teter produced the fastest women’s time since the event changed from 10 to 15 laps in 2021: 10:01.87.
“I think that speaks to the field in general too, because it’s competitive ... I’m excited, and lucky to race against such strong, ambitious competitors.”
Alpha Chi Omega junior Emma Nelson
“We can’t even be upset about not winning when a team like Teter goes out and really deserves their win,”
Alpha Chi Omega junior Emma Nelson said at Little 500 Media Day. “I think that speaks to the field in general too, because it’s competitive ... I’m excited, and lucky to race against such strong, ambitious competitors.”
With 33 teams on the starting grid, Teter provides opponents with strong competition. The team has won
the event four times but not since 2019. Teter finished qualifications in second place, as Faraday won Individual Time Trials with a 2:36.62 mark. Making up the second row of the grid will be Delta Gamma, Melanzana and the Christian Student Fellowship. Delta Gamma finished qualifications with a 2:48.347 time and placed fifth at Team Pursuit. Senior Morgan Heim gave the sorority a fifth-place finish at Individual Time Trials.
Melanzana finished last
year’s race in 11th after winning the 2022 and 2023 editions, but senior Evelyn Morris and sophomore Sophie Peterson look to bring the team back to the top spot. Morris secured a third-place result at Individual Time Trials and sixth at Miss N Out, while Peterson was runner-up at Miss N Out.
As race day draws near, riders will prepare for the 100-lap event, which sees the 33 competing teams complete five bike exchanges over the 25.49 miles
around the track. Yet for many riders, the wins and losses are not the end goal, but the community and tradition that the event brings to Indiana University.
“I would call it the privilege of my lifetime to race in the Little 500,” Faraday said in an interview with the Indiana Daily Student. “It has made me a much better person in so many ways, so I’ll always be very grateful for that, and it’s going to mean a lot to me to race the Little 500 for one last time.”
BRIANA PACE | IDS
Kappa Alpha Theta’s Greta Heyl looks toward her teammate after winning the women’s Little 500 race on April 25, 2025, at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. Kappa Alpha Theta pulled away in the final stretch to win the race.
BRIANA PACE | IDS
A Theta Phi Alpha rider takes off during qualifications for the Little 500 on March 28, 2026, at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. Theta Phi Alpha did not place in the 2025 Little 500 race.
Wilcox House captures the legacy of Little 500
By Lexi Bunting lexbunti@iu.edu
Tucked along Fee Lane, the Wilcox House serves as a living archive to student leadership, philanthropy and tradition. The space has been home to the Indiana University Student Foundation since the early 1980s, serving as both an office and a museum, and highlighting the lasting impact of IU student traditions.
Founded in 1950 by former IU Foundation Director Howdy Wilcox, the IUSF has a long history of student philanthropy and is responsible for creating one of IU’s most iconic traditions: the Little 500. Wilcox introduced the idea of a campus-wide cycling event to raise scholarship funds and create more opportunities for student engagement.
In 2024, the foundation launched an initiative to create an exhibit to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the IUSF, highlighting photographs from the events’ history in an immersive and interactive at the Wilcox House.
IUSF Director Emily Carrico helped advise the project and described it as a strong initiative because of its broad scope and ability to showcase the full history of the tradition.
“When I started, a lot of that history was scattered, there wasn’t a lot of continuity,” she said. “So, we had a couple of seniors in 2024 that took on this project of turning the house into this exhibit where whenever alumni or current students walk in they can see themselves and their experience on the walls.”
Visitors can walk through the house and see decades of photographs documenting student-led initiatives, campus traditions and cultural milestones, starting from the 1950s.
The exhibit is organized by decade, with each room highlighting different traditions and how they have evolved over time. Together, the rooms create a timeline of the tradition and allow visitors time to reflect on the history and legacy of
the event and student life in general at IU.
Mason Schutte, a Cox Legacy Scholar and office assistant for the IUSF, assisted in organizing more than 60 photographs back in 2024 for the exhibit. He said the photographs showcase defining moments throughout the race’s history, including long-standing campus traditions from race weekend, celebrity appearances and important cultural shifts within the event.
Those changes are reflected throughout the exhibit, including photographs from the 1960s documenting campus protests against fraternity bylaws that excluded minority groups, the creation of the women’s race in 1988, and the addition of numerous teams and organizations over time.
“We highlighted just overall the tradition, the philanthropy behind the race, and what it means for a lot of different groups on campus and how that history can impact future riders, alumni and students,” Schutte said.
Carrico said she hopes
that visitors take away an appreciation for the effort of all the students who have contributed their time to the exhibit, as well as a deeper understanding of the foundation itself.
“If we look back over the last 75 years of the race, it’s not just about the Little 500. There is so much that has happened around it for the student foundations over the decades,” Carrico said. “I
think for our students to see all the fun things that have happened over the years, the way the organization has grown and changed, it adds a lot of meaning to the work they do in the present day.”
COLUMN: Non-Little 500 events to go to over the weekend
legiate Weekend.”
By Addison Jacoby agjacoby@iu.edu
The Little 500 hits Bloomington like a massive wave each year, swimming with tradition, celebration and, of course, the largest collegiate bike race in the United States. As the Little 500 quickly approaches, Bloomington is still hosting events for everyone, not just die-hard cycling fans.
The races themselves are the centerpieces of the event, with the women’s race beginning at 4 p.m. April 24, and the men’s race at 2 p.m. April 25. So, I would, of course, put those on the to-do list first.
But besides the races, here are some non-cycling events appearing during “The World’s Greatest Col-
University Twits Sketch
Comedy Performance
The University Twits are an IU sketch-comedy troupe that perform comedy shows once a month in Ballantine Hall. The troupe performs exclusively original material, writing their own sketches and jokes.
The group is showcasing their comedic pursuits at 9 p.m. April 24 in Ballantine Hall, Room 110. The sketchcomedy performance is a free event, encouraged for all to join in an hour of laughs, fun and sketches.
HANDS in Autism’s Art Expo: “Art of the Mind” HANDS in Autism is an Indiana statewide resource center for those with autism
and other special needs. The group annually celebrates art created by autistic individuals in April, especially those who use art as a way of expression. The expo also showcases pieces created by those supporting autism acceptance.
This year’s theme is “Art of the Mind,” featuring pieces showcasing artists’ interpretation of the few words.
The expo is housed in the Indiana Memorial UnionOak Room, beginning with an opportunity to meet the artists and see the exhibitions from 1-4 p.m. April 24. Then, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 27, the exhibition is again open to visitors.
IU Soul Revue Spring Concert At 7:30 p.m. April 25, IU
Soul Revue is presenting its Spring Concert to the Buskirk-Chumley Theater bringing a night of soul, contemporary Black popular music and R&B to the weekend of cycling. The group is led by accomplished musician James Strong, who has over 30 years of experience within the music industry, having worked with artists including Tupac and LL Cool J. Tickets for the concert are available online or at the box office for $25.92 and discounted to $15.66 for children and students.
Bring Your Own Business Bring Your Own Business is an organization dedicated to showcasing student businesses monthly in Dunn Meadow. From
vintage clothing to plants, the monthly event brings a crowd of student shoppers, ready to purchase a wide variety of items. Bring Your Own Busi-
ness appears again in Dunn Meadow from noon to 4 p.m.
JACK JERNIGAN | IDS
Little 500 bicycles are seen on April 8, 2026, at the Wilcox House in Bloomington. The space has been home
to the Indiana University Student Foundation since the early 1980s.
