Brooks Matetich takes flight, signs with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

May possibly 25—BEMIDJI — Brooks Matetich appreciates all about velocity.

The Bemidji Higher Faculty senior is a critical member of the Lumberjacks’ 4×800-meter relay, one of the boys track and subject team’s best contenders for a trip to state this year. And now, he’s decided to go after pace at the next amount by signing to operate keep track of and cross region at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz.

“The commencing of this 12 months, I was like, ‘OK, I need to have to start off figuring out where by I’m going,'” explained Matetich, who signed his NLI on Wednesday at BHS. “And then this put just showed up, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to go there.'”

He described his connection with Embry-Riddle as “correct love at very first sight” — a adore made more powerful when he realized he could operate for the school’s teams as very well as attend classes.

“As soon as I reached out to their mentor, he took an curiosity in me,” Matetich said. “And then it form of just blossomed from there, and here we are.”

Matetich surveyed other educational institutions, but none of them matched the lofty perch of ERAU in his mind.

“I appeared at Hamline, North Dakota, St. Thomas,” Matetich reported. “But this position was just, it appeared excellent.”

He’ll main in aerospace engineering to start off, with an eye towards ultimately becoming a member of the U.S. Air Power.

“On my dad’s side of the household, my uncle is a pilot for commercial airways,” Matetich explained. “He was in the Air Drive, which is sort of my target. Just staying uncovered to that a small bit genuinely started off the curiosity. But then I researched it on my possess, and now we’re here for the reason that I want to do it, not due to the fact any one else does it.”Whilst at Embry-Riddle, he programs to pair his athletic and academic exploits with involvement in the school’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps method.

“The objective would be to turn out to be an officer through the ROTC system they have there,” Matetich explained. “And then from there, go into the Air Force and finally ideally turn out to be a pilot.”

But in spite of the similarity of swiftness concerning his twin passions, Matetich said his desire in both equally is purely coincidental.

“It is form of just two things I definitely like to do that came with each other,” Matetich reported.