Team Qualifies 24th, finishes Spring Series in 12th
On a beautiful Saturday morning in late March, the Phi Sig Little 500 team took the track. The team took a new approach to qualifying this year. While the team consisted of 6 riders, they decided to use three during qualifications. Seniors Jeff Schwab and Matt Beaulieu, along with freshman Evan Tomlinson, faulted on their first attempt. In order to insure that the team would be participating in the race this year, the 3 riders decided that this was their chance. The three of them performed well and finished with a near guarantee of being in the race. As the day went along, the beautiful weather helped many teams but still kept Phi Sigma Kappa on the board. While initially a little disappointed with their position, senior Jeff Schwab will be starting the race on the outside, which will allow him to move up and regroup with the leaders. Throughout the next 2 weeks, the 6 members of the cycling team took part in the 3 Spring Series events. The three events were a individual time trial, a elimination race (Missin’ Out), and a team time trial. They finished the series with a strong performance and a 12th place finish to show for it.
As school begun, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team. With only two riders, both of which were seniors, competing over the summer, questions arose about the status of our Little 500 team. The amount of effort that Matt Beaulieu and Jeff Schwab put into growing the Sigma Triton chapter, was now put into the Little 500 team. The two seniors were able to recruit 4 new riders. Sophomores Corey Fogel, Benji Ellis, and Chad Timmerman all dedicated themselves to the cause. A new brother, freshman Evan Tomlinson also became extremely involved in the team. With six riders dedicated to giving Sigma Triton a competitive team, they all began the winter training season. Each member of the team trained for 2-3 hours a day 5-6 days a week from November to February. In February, the team took to the track and began becoming comfortable with exchanges and pack riding.
In March, the 6 members of the team headed to Gainesville, Florida for an intense week of training. The team stayed with Grand Council member Doug Diekow. Diekow provided the team with a great atmosphere to relax in between rides, and a lot of the team’s success is due his hospitality, which allowed the team to train. The team put on 330+ miles in 5 days of hard riding. Each member of the team gave it their all and everyone showed impressive signs of improvement.
The future is extremely bright for Sigma Triton’s cycling team. While the team will be loosing two key riders, seniors Jeff Schwab and Matt Beaulieu, at the end of this year, the team still showcases a foundation of 3 sophomores and 1 freshman. Senior Matt Beaulieu plans on becoming the official coach of the team, after the race this year. This will allow the riders to focus solely on training. If anyone would like to become involved with the Sigma Triton cycling team or has any questions regarding the Little 500 team, please contact Matt Beaulieu at mbeaulie@indiana.edu. The team is looking forward to chasing a top 10 finish this year and enjoying the bright future this team has.
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