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Chris Nocchi
  • Algonquin, IL

Chris Nocchi of Algonquin Soars at Regional Flight Competition

2011 Nov 9

Chris Nocchi of Algonquin earned honors at the recent National Intercollegiate Flying Association's Region VIII championship held at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Nocchi is a Senior studying Finance at Lewis University.

Lewis University's Flight Team has qualified for national competition after placing second in the region at the competition. Lewis University took second place overall and in ground events.

Lewis University was one of six universities competing. Other participants included Southern Illinois University, University of Illinois, Purdue University, Middle Tennessee State University and Indiana State University.

Unsafe weather conditions caused the cancellation of flight events. However, ground events that continued were Computer Accuracy, Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation (SCAN), Aircraft Recognition, Preflight and Ground Trainer.

This year's competition concluded with Lewis University finishing in second place overall. Southern Illinois University finished first, followed by Lewis University in second, and University of Illinois in third place. The top three universities qualified for the National Competition scheduled for May 2012 in Salina, Kansas.

In addition to team honors, several Lewis University Flight Team members earned individual awards. Lewis senior, Jacob Luedtke of Hampshire, Ill., received second place in Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation and placed second in top scoring male pilot. He also received fourth place in Computer Accuracy and fifth place in Preflight.

Other high scorers for Lewis were sophomore Erik Rasmussen of Bloomington, Ill., who placed third in Ground Trainer; and senior Jeff Meyer of Metamora, Ill., who placed fourth in Aircraft Recognition. Several Lewis students placed in the top ten. Senior Brian McHugh of Henderson, Nevada, placed sixth in Computer Accuracy. Senior Aaron Brown of Joliet, Ill., placed eighth in Computer Accuracy and in Ground Trainer. Junior Andrew Baniecki of Chicago, Ill., placed eighth in Aircraft Recognition. Senior Chris Nocchi of Algonquin, Ill., placed ninth in Aircraft Recognition. Senior Anthony Lalor of Woodstock, Ill., placed sixth in Preflight.

Lewis University Flight team members include: Jacob Luedtke, Brian McHugh, Aaron Brown, Jeff Meyer, Andrew Baniecki, Chris Nocchi, Erik Rasmussen, Anthony Lalor, Kazimierz Dyduch, Steven Molenstra, Jeffrey Leo, Matt Pall, Cody Marks, Nirav Patel, Ben Popp, James Vandeventer and Bobby Beckman.

Megan Montgomery of LaGrange, Ill. is the Lewis University's Flight Team's head coach and specializes in Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation and Ground Trainer. Other Flight Team coaches include: Preflight Coach Tiffany Bilski of Berwyn, Ill., Computer Accuracy Coach Rob Delaney of Minooka, Ill., Aircraft Recognition Coach Jared Hunt of Morton, Ill., and Advisor Al Szoldatits of Tinley Park, Ill.

Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to nearly 6,500 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit http://www.lewisu.edu for more information.