ARIZONA CAMPUS
For the 14th time in campus history and for the second consecutive year, the Golden Eagles Flight Team at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus took home the title in the NIFA SAFECON national championship.
The 34-member Golden Eagles beat out 27 other university teams, comprised of nearly 500 students from across the country, to win first place. In total, Embry-Riddle placed in 18 events, including eight No. 1 finishes. “Coaching the Golden Eagles Flight Team is my dream job,” said Head Coach Shaun Shephard, who led the team in both of its last two national title bids. “I get to coach and teach the best of the best.” Earlier in the spring semester, the team also competed in the NIFA SAFECON regional flight competition, winning its 37th championship there. That event was part of a “sprint,” Shephard said, noting that the team was away from campus competing for six of the 20 weeks leading up to nationals and had to balance those external events with ongoing training exercises and their usual coursework. Still, the team produced plenty of standout performances: § In his first year on the team, Rasheed Adamu won an individual national championship in Aircraft Recognition . “Unheard of,” Shephard said. § Jamie Gallagher earned a perfect score in Computer Accuracy . § Camden Dellar won the Preflight event, marking the first time the Golden Eagles have won in that category. § And Hayden Morse achieved one of the most difficult feats of the competition: He competed in two separate events requiring entirely different skill sets — Short Field Landings and Power-Off Landings — and he won them both.
“Every day, I ask the team to be golden, be the best at what you do every day, every time and have no regrets,” Shephard said. “We won this championship as a T.E.A.M.: Together Everyone Achieves More. I could not be any happier and am still speechless.” Competing in the event also helps graduates kickstart their careers, said outgoing Team Captain Doug Niemela. “I landed my first airline job thanks in large part to my experiences with the Golden Eagles,” he said. “It is a highly competitive, team-oriented organization that allows for tremendous personal growth in technical as well as leadership skills. All of our teammates will go on to find future success in the workplace because this is an organization where a smiling face and hard work ethic will take you far.”
GOLDEN EAGLES / WELL RANKED
s Aircraft Preflight Inspection No. 1 – Camden Deller s Aircraft Recognition No. 1 – Rasheed Adamu s Computer Accuracy No. 1 – Jamie Gallagher s Top Pilot No. 2 – Hayden Morse s Top Scoring Participant No. 2 – Hayden Morse s Regional Top Pilot Region 2 – Douglas Niemela Region 8 – James Hanover s Outstanding Team Member No. 2 – Gabriel Witt s Certified Flight Instructor No. 2 – Anna Scott s Unlimited Navigation No. 1 – Gabriel Witt and George Fiscu
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