Sky Broncos soar to fourth overall at 2026 National SAFECON championship

KALAMAZOO, Mich.--Building on a long-standing legacy of aviation excellence, the Western Michigan University Sky Broncos precision flight team captured fourth place overall at the 2026 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) SAFECON championship.

The event, held May 18-23 at the Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois, featured a competitive field of 31 collegiate aviation teams from across the country. WMU’s 15-member roster—composed entirely of aviation flight science majors—secured fifth place in ground events, fifth place in flight events and third place for the prestigious Judges Trophy.

“Third place for the Judges Trophy shows our team has so much depth and so much to look forward to in future competitions,” says team captain Dylan Van Holton, a junior from Lancaster, California. “I’m incredibly proud of how the team performed at SAFECON 2026. The team worked hard for months in preparation, and it showed with exceptional results in both flight and ground events.”

“The coaching staff gave them high expectations at the beginning of the year, and they worked very hard all year to achieve them,” adds coach Nick Olnhausen, a Western graduate and flight instructor at the College of Aviation, who works with the team along with faculty advisor Ryan Seiler, WMU aviation master faculty specialist.

Broncos dominate in the air and on the ground

The team qualified for the national competition after achieving first place overall—placing first in ground events and second in flight events—at its regional competition Oct. 19-25 at Kent State University. Team members and their first- through 20th-place finishes at the national competition include:

• Jett Boettcher, a sophomore from Mequon, Wisconsin, placed seventh in aircraft recognition.
• Andrew Callaghan is a sophomore from Kentwood, Michigan.
• Sean Edelman, a junior from Ann Arbor, Michigan, placed 20th in simulated cabin accident navigation (SCAN).
• Lucas Foster, a senior from Cornelius, North Carolina, placed ninth in computer accuracy, tied for 17th in power-on landings and 19th in unlimited navigation as a pilot.
• Jack Grooms is a freshman from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
• Nancy Hohlbein, a junior from Petoskey, Michigan, was named Outstanding Team Member and placed 19th in unlimited navigation as a safety observer.
• Tasi Kim, a sophomore from Dededo, Guam, placed 16th in computer accuracy.
• Gerald (Jerry) Lucas, a senior from Lake Villa, Illinois, placed 10th in power-on landings and 13th in aircraft preflight inspection.
• Andrew Maciejewski, a junior from Hudsonville, Michigan, placed first in crew resource management (pilot monitoring), sixth in computer accuracy and 20th in message drop as pilot.
• Sebastian Osburn is a senior from Galesburg, Michigan.
• Nicklas Pederson, a sophomore from Zeeland, Michigan, placed 17th in aircraft recognition.
• Andon Schmitz is a freshman from Parker, Colorado.
• Seth Shapiro, a freshman from Highland Park, New Jersey, placed first in unlimited navigation as safety observer with a perfect score, eighth in computer accuracy, 19th in ground trainer and 20th in message drop as drop master.
• Daniel Souppa, a senior from Jacksonville, Florida, placed first in unlimited navigation as pilot, sixth in top pilot, sixth in power-on landings, ninth as a top-scoring contestant, placed 15th in instrument flight rules (IFR) and 16th in SCAN.
• Dylan Van Holton placed first in crew resource management (pilot flying), first in SCAN, tied for second in power-on landings, tied for third as a top-scoring contestant, placed fifth in top pilot and 12th in power-off landings.

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