Commencement Reflections: SIUE Cougar Baja Team

Commencement Reflections: SIUE Cougar Baja Team

May 7, 2026, 11:23 AM

When Noah Spencer reminisces about some of the best times he had at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the times he hung out with the Baja club at competitions take the lead. One of their most memorable competitive outings this year was the Winter Baja-an unsanctioned competition organized for Baja teams to race their off-road vehicles against counterparts from colleges and universities across the country. The competition, hosted in January at Michigan Technological University marked the team's second consecutive year winning first place in endurance.

"Even though we could be shivering in the cold, wading through mud, or breathing in dust for hours, we always had a good time with each other and got closer after each trip as a team and as friends," shared Spencer.

At that same event, the team also captured first place in the competition's signature pickled egg slalom-a cone maneuverability course where a team member must eat a pickled egg at the midpoint before the driver can continue. The Cougars posted a time of 23 seconds which was nearly twice as fast as the second-place team's 46 seconds, leaving the officiating judge momentarily stunned at the eating speed, shared Carson Spies, a senior mechanical engineering student and the President of the Baja team.

Cougar Baja team traveled to Michigan Tech's campus with 13 members and two vehicles-their primary car, named Larry and their veteran car, named Reeba. Larry finished first and Reeba placed 11th in the four-hour endurance race, in which all competing vehicles take the track simultaneously with teams completing as many laps as possible.

"The whole point of this is to have a friendly, fun competition that also gives new members opportunities and experience to participate in a competition in a low-pressure environment," said Spies. "The competition begins with a technical inspection to verify safety compliance, including fire extinguishers and other required equipment before teams advance to a series of dynamic events," he added.

Team members feel the participation in competitions has tangible benefits beyond track. Official SAE competitions feature on-site career fairs where major sponsors-including Honda, Haas and Oshkosh, send representatives to scout student talent for internships and full-time positions.

"The competition in Michigan was my last as part of the Baja club, and it allowed me to reflect on how I might be different if I never went to one of these competitions," said Spencer. "I realized that, through these competitions, I have been able to network and connect with other schools as well as potential employers, foster my communication and teamwork skills, and experience working in a high-intensity environment where something would almost definitely go wrong.

He added, "After graduation, I will begin working for a construction subcontracting firm as a designer, with plans to move into project management over time and I am also considering a post-baccalaureate degree in either engineering or business management depending on where my career takes me." Cole McGrath, the club treasurer, who is also graduating this May, spent his senior year leading the front suspension design as part of his senior design project-a deliberate effort in knowledge transfer to teach newer members while progressing the build and design.

"We were really focused on teaching them while designing this new car," McGrath said. "A lot of our experienced members are graduating, so working with club members and teaching as we build was really the priority this semester."

The team hopes to debut their new vehicle at their next official competition, slated for September.

PHOTOS: Braden Bensema, mechanical engineering junior with the car Larry during Winter Baja, Cougar Baja Team; photos by Carson Spies, president of the Cougar Baja Team