Dr. Edward Montgomery President at Western Michigan University | Official website
Dr. Edward Montgomery President at Western Michigan University | Official website
Western Michigan University’s women’s pilot team, known as the "Bronco Baddies," achieved a fourth-place finish in their class at the Air Race Classic. Competing against 21 other collegiate teams, the team completed the race over four days, covering approximately 2,500 miles.
"This race has been so empowering. Being surrounded by only women participating in an event created by women in a field dominated by men gave me strength," said Lily Hume, who made her race debut this year.
The team navigated nine legs of the race from June 18-21 using one of WMU’s fixed-wing, single-engine Cirrus SR20 planes. The route began in Carbondale, Illinois, and concluded in Loveland, Colorado. Teams competed against an aircraft-specific handicap rather than head-to-head against other competitors. They made stops in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.
The Bronco Baddies included pilot Lily Hume (B.S.’24) from Arlington Heights, Illinois; co-pilot Emily Hartzell (B.S.’23) from Durand, Michigan; navigator Caroline Yuska from Carmel, Indiana; and ground coordinator Becca Lowe from Aurora, Illinois. The team was advised by Dominic Nicolai and Annie Quardokus.
"Preparing for the race with this team has provided me with knowledge and experience that I will continue to use for the rest of my life. The trust, communication and understanding this team has generated set us up to be successful," Hume stated. "Each of us had a vital role in this fast-flying machine. This race is more than just flying; it takes trust, stamina, confidence and teamwork."
This year marked WMU’s 20th participation since 2000 in an event aimed at encouraging and promoting pioneering women in aviation.
"Every year we strive to do a little better in our preparation for the race. This year we improved in every aspect from team bonding, route analysis, training and execution," said Nicolai. Last year's team placed 11th out of 18 collegiate teams.
For more information on WMU news and events visit WMU News online.
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