Sophomore Kathleen Lemme rides for Kappa Alpha Theta. This is her second year on the team.
(Devan Ridgway, WTIU)
Senior Grace Wasburn was pedaling hard in her last lap on the Bill Armstrong Stadium’s track, repping Team Melanzana’s bright yellow jersey. The white flag came out, and she held on for the 100th lap. Team captain in 2023, Washburn lifted her fist and crossed the finish line.
“Twice is nice for Melanzana,” the announcer yelled. Melanzana won back-to-back Women’s Little 500 races at Indiana University.
This year, senior Sarah Qu’s co-captain of Melanzana, and she’d like to make history, too. Melanzana might become the first women’s team to win three in a row on April 19 at the 36th Women’s Little 500.
But Qu said her time on the team isn’t all about winning.
“Of course, everyone's goal is to do the best they can, and ultimately win the race,” Qu said. “Having that as our only focus would be kind of challenging, in terms of team culture and just general enjoyment, because the women's race is only one hour of the whole year. And we put in so many hours outside of that.”
Sarah Qu is co-captain of Melanzana and a member of the Riders Council. She joined the team during the COVID-19 pandemic four years ago, and she said it gave her a community and a way to stay motivated. (Aubrey Wright, WTIU)
Qu joined Melanzana four years ago, and like many rookies, she had never cycled. Over the years, she said she’s learned how to strategize and grow as an athlete. She’s also learned how to work as a team.
To Qu, supporting her teammates and enjoying the ride goes hand-in-hand with trying to break records.
“Taking things very seriously but also having fun and working hard,” Qu said, smiling. “And then, maybe we will see how we do on race day.”
Though the number of riders has ebbed and flowed through the years, this year’s women’s race has 34 teams registered to compete. Last year, 27 teams competed.
“Ultimately, we're all competing against each other,” Qu said. “But it's so — I can't describe the feeling of how fun it is to see everyone on the track and get to work together.”
Qu, a member of the Little 500 Riders Council, said race leaders and riders have tried to diversify and increase the number of women in the male-dominated sport of cycling.
Race director Emily Carrico said she competed from 2016 to 2019, when fewer women were in the race.
“I remember being on Riders Council and kind of being like, ‘Oh, I want to see a full field, that would be great,’” Carrico said. “But I think for me, that was wishful thinking.”
Now with the IU Student Foundation, Carrico works with riders and race leaders. She credits students on the Riders Council and steering committees with bulking up the women’s race after the COVID-19 pandemic.
They switched recruiting strategies, Carrico said, hosting call-out meetings and taking advantage of traditional Greek participation in the race. They made small tweaks to deadlines and barriers to entry, Carrico said, but those made a difference.
“What's just impressed me so much is the dedication that's from our students,” Carrico said.
The IU Student Foundation hosted the first Women's Little 500 in 1988. Emily Carrico said before that, women raced on tricycles in the Mini Little 500 and other spring series races such as Team Pursuit. (Aubrey Wright, WTIU)
The women’s race is 100 laps around the Bill Armstrong track — just over 25 miles. It’s shorter than the men’s 200 laps.
Carrico says one of the biggest misconceptions is that the women wouldn’t be able to do the longer men’s race — they can.
“You can ask any of our riders. For them, splitting up 25 miles between the four of them is nothing,” Carrico said. “That is probably less mileage than they get on their easy days.”
Carrico says the shorter distance makes the women’s race unique. There’s no forgiveness for slip ups, and women’s teams must use a different strategy to keep up with the fast pace.
“Because It's so quick, and it's so action-packed,” Carrico said. “If there's a mistake, you really don't have time to make it up.”
Carrico said most people don’t know just how much work Little 500 riders put in all year — or more specifically, how much work the women put in. The women’s field has typically had the same access to track time and support from the Student Foundation, she said, but some challenges of being a woman in cycling still exist.
“I think there's more understanding that women are part of the sport just as much as men, but it's certainly taken time,” Carrico said. “I'm very encouraged to see that shift.”
Sophomore Kathleen Lemme rides for Kappa Alpha Theta — the pioneering women’s team and the one with the most wins.
Lemme said her team is carrying on a legacy.
“You do feel like you're a part of something way bigger than yourself, knowing how many incredible women have come before you and that they were the women to even help begin the race itself,” Lemme said.
Katheen Lemme said Theta's bike room is covered in years of memorabilia. "What if I need it one day?" Lemme joked. (Devan Ridgway, WTIU)
Lemme said she’s with her team 24/7 — showing up for each other on and off the track. There’s rit and hard work, she said, and they’ll be back on the bike as soon as the Little 500 is over.
“We've been working so hard,” Lemme said. “We're excited to do everything we can.”
But Lemme said there’s also an atmosphere of support and love on Theta. They’re her best friends. It’s “more than just biking,” she said.
Theta’s bike room is covered in photos, trophies and souvenirs of past races. Smiling riders cover a wall top to bottom, and a countdown to the race is updated each day. A dried laurel hangs on the wall. Giant signs of riders’ faces are taped behind the racks. The room is full of memories.
“This team is just absolutely incredible,” Lemme said. “They've definitely been there for me through some of my hardest days. I'm so grateful for them.”
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on X @aubreymwright.
