Sky Broncos capture regional title, qualify for nationals
by Cheryl Roland
Oct. 29, 2011 | WMU News
KALAMAZOO--Western Michigan University's precision flight team, the Sky Broncos, won top honors in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association Region III event last week and has qualified for next spring's national competition, which will be held May 14-19 at Kansas State University.
Sky Broncos show off their trophies from last week's competition.
The 13-member WMU team competed in NIFA's Safety and Evaluation Conference at Ohio University Oct. 24-28. The Sky Broncos took second place in both the flight and ground events,
finishing first overall with a total of 211 points.
Ohio State University was second with 186 points and host school
Ohio University came in third with 180 points. Five collegiate teams competed in the Region III event.
NIFA regional competitions pit schools against each other in five ground events and four flying events. Team points are earned by competitors who place in the top 10 in each of the events. Two-person Sky Bronco teams, for instance, placed second, third and ninth in the navigation event, accruing 38 points for their team. A first- or second-place finish at regional competition means the team qualifies for the national competition.
"This was a true team effort as evidenced by the fact that they took second place in both ground events and flying events but were still able to take first place overall," says Faculty Advisor Ryan Seiler. "The team was very deep and balanced, which allowed them to take the regional title."
The Sky Broncos are led this year by Head Coach Kyle Johnson, a June 2009 graduate from Arnold, Mo.; Assistant Coach Thomas Grossman, the college's chief flight instructor; and Seiler, who is Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program coordinator.
Team captain is Benjamin Hastings, a senior from Hillsdale, Mich., studying aviation science and administration. Individual honors won by Sky Broncos at the regional event included second and third place in the Top Pilot standings, which were captured by John Robbins Jr. of Auburn, Mich., and Kyle Mallory of Rochester, N.Y., respectively. Kaitlin Klingler, also of Hillsdale, was the top scoring female contestant at the event.
Below are information on the team members and their first- through 10th-place finishes at the 2011 NIFA regionals at Ohio University.
WMU Sky Broncos 2011-12
- Joseph Batchelder of Grand Haven, Mich., is a freshman studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Western Michigan Christian High School in 2009. He placed sixth in Computer Accuracy.
- Alexander Bych of Somers, Conn., is a freshman studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Somers High School in 2011.
- Zoltan Chien-Szegedy of San Mateo, Calif., is a freshman studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Hillsdale High School in 2011.
- Justin Guth of Palatine, Ill., is a senior studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Palatine High School in 2007. Guth was part of the fifth-place Message Drop team and the ninth-place Navigation team. He placed second in Aircraft Recognition and sixth in Power-Off Landing.
- Benjamin Hastings of Hillsdale, Mich., is a senior studying aviation science and administration and is team captain. He graduated from Hillsdale High School in 2008. Hastings was part of the first-place Message Drop team and the second-place navigation team. He placed fifth in Computer Accuracy, sixth in Aircraft Preflight Inspection, eighth in Short-Field Approach and Landing, and ninth in Power-Off Landing.
- Kaitlin Klingler of Hillsadale, Mich., is a junior studying aviation flight science and aviation maintenance technology. She graduated from Hillsdale High School in 2008. Klingler placed first in Computer Accuracy, seventh in Aircraft Preflight Inspection and was part of the ninth-place Navigation team. She was the top-scoring female contestant.
- Kyle Mallory of Rochester, N.Y., is a senior studying aviation science and administration. He graduated from Churchville-Chili High School in 2008. Mallory was part of the third-place Navigation team. He placed second in Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation, fifth in Ground Trainer and sixth in Short-Field Approach and Landing. He was third in the event's Top Pilot standings.
- Nathaniel McCune of Hanover, Mass., is a senior studying accountancy. He graduated from Hanover High School in 2008. McCune placed first in Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation and eighth in Ground Trainer.
- Ramon Ramirez of Buckley, Mich., is a junior studying aviation administration. He graduated from St. Francis High School in 2006. Ramirez placed third in Computer Accuracy and fifth in Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation.
- John Robbins Jr. of Auburn, Mich., is a junior studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Bay City Western High School in 2007. He was part of the second-place navigation team, took first in Short-Field Approach and Landing and fifth in Preflight Aircraft Inspection.
- Andrew Seguin of Alpena, Mich., is a senior studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Alpena High School in 2008. He was part of both the first- and fourth-place Message Drop teams and took sixth in Aircraft Recognition.
- Reto Smith Jr. of Lithonia, Ga., is a junior studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Martin Luther King Jr. High School in 2008. Smith was part of the third-place Navigation team and both the fourth- and fifth-place Message Drop teams. He placed third in Aircraft Recognition.
- Randall Walliser of San Mateo, Calif., is a freshman studying aviation flight science. He graduated from Hillsdale High School in 2011. He placed 10th in Aircraft Recognition.
Visit the WMU College of Aiviation at wmich.edu/aviation.