The easy answer, if there ever was one, would have been for Hannah Hartung to suit up as a Nebraska gymnast—being the daughter of Husker gymnastics legend Jim Hartung and having grown up competing under the Nebraska School of Gymnastics—but she’s never been one to take the easy road.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Hartung decided against staying in Lincoln for college. Her choice was driven by wanting to contribute to lineups and be wherever she could do that to the best of her ability.
Her path into the cockpit began more than 4,000 miles away on a recruiting trip in Anchorage. She had been invited on an official visit while being recruited by Alaska when then-graduate assistant coach Marie-Sophie Boggasch showed Hartung around her plane. At that moment, she was sold on competing as a Seawolf on her way to becoming a pilot. On a subsequent visit to Eastern Michigan she was initially hesitant, warming up to the idea and eventually signing with the team upon learning they have two aviation streams available for study. The final reason, in her words? “Michigan just felt a little closer to Nebraska.”
Once enrolled at Eastern Michigan in the fall of 2019, Hartung began what felt like a double major. Between ground school and flying, she had a full…
