By Chris Bavender
From the Zionsville Community High School swim team to cycling, three Zionsville men have been competing together for several years. This year, however, they can claim a special title: winners of the annual Little 500 at Indiana University.
Nick Torrance, 22, Ben Gavette, 20 and Charlie Hicks, 19, were members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon bike team that took home the trophy April 26 during the 64th annual race at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Other team members included Chris Turi, Sam Anderson and Brandon Sakbun.
“To simply be part of the Little 500 is a privilege, as the race is Indiana University’s greatest tradition,” Torrance said. “In all, the event represents our perseverance in training, our mutually held pride in our fraternity and our bond as friends. We prepared diligently for the race and continually support each other both on and off the bike.”
Since 2012 the Sigma Phi Epsilon team has placed 12th (2012), 6th (2013) and 4th (2014) before winning this year with a time of 2:07:58.495.
According to the Little 500 website, it is the largest collegiate bike race in the country and is modeled after the Indianapolis 500. Riders compete in four-person teams on the quarter-mile cinder track. The men’s race is 200 laps (50 miles) and the women’s race is 100 laps. The race began in 1951 as a way to raise scholarship money for students working their way through college. Since that first race, Indiana University Student Foundation has given away more than $1 million to undergrads.
Hicks and Gavette became involved with cycling during high school. Gavette’s father, Brian Gavette, coaches them. Torrance didn’t start riding until his freshman year at IU.
Even after crossing the finish line, the team wasn’t 100 percent sure they’d won, Hicks said.
“There was a slight delay between Nick crossing the line and hearing the official results, which made us nervous because the sprint was so close,” Hicks said. “But upon hearing we’d won, it felt surreal – we couldn’t contain our excitement.”
And that meant it was time to celebrate.
“Well, were able to come home and see all our friends and family after the race. It was a very surreal moment seeing all the hard work we had put in to finally pay off,” Gavette said.
As for next year, the trio hopes to once again be celebrating a victory.
“The team all rides year-round,” Hicks said. “We will be riding the streets of Zionsville this summer preparing for that one day we take the track again in hopes to repeat our success this year.”
