Flying to the top: OSU Datathon winners describe process of analyzing aviation case for $8,000 scholarship prize

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Media Contact: Hallie Hart | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-1050 | hallie.hart@okstate.edu

Four exuberant students accepted the giant first-place check as the fifth annual Oklahoma State University Datathon reached its conclusion in the Business Building. 

Adam Lindsey, Kendall Shields, Sandeep Maharshi Yallabandi and Seth Taylor won the two-day analytics competition in February, securing the top prize of $8,000 in scholarships. Hosted by OSU’s Data Analytics Club, Datathon 2026 awarded a total of $19,000 in scholarships to the top 5 teams out of 20.

“More than a win, it shows us that there’s validation in what we’re learning in our degree programs,” said Lindsey, a junior balancing studies in accounting, accounting systems, management information systems and data analytics.

Datathon requires students to formulate a plan, analyze data and deliver presentations to solve a problem for a real-world company. This year, Textron Aviation presented the case and provided the data.

What does it take to compete in Datathon? From registration to celebration, the winning quartet of Spears School of Business students reflected on the rewarding experience.

Taking the leap

The first step was registration, which opened about a month in advance.

Maharshi, an MS in MIS student, signed up knowing he had unfinished business. After competing in Datathon 2025, he aimed for a top-5 finish in his final Datathon before graduation.

Each team is allowed only one graduate student, so Maharshi connected with three undergraduates who had never competed in the Datathon.

The past couple of years, Lindsey said he was too busy to join a team, but the longtime Data Analytics Club member made no excuses this year. 

“I cleared my calendar for two days,” Lindsey said. “The experience alone is worth it.”

Lindsey worked ahead on class assignments to create free time, but preparation for the Datathon itself was limited. Students do not know the case in advance, and no two Datathons are the same.

After the competitors sat down for breakfast in the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center on the morning of Feb. 12, the information was revealed to everyone at once.

Tackling the case

Textron Aviation’s case involved introducing new aircraft to the market in different sales zones. Teams had to optimize flight routes based on data points such as cost, revenue and number of customers.

Shields, a marketing and data analytics senior from Wichita, Kansas, was in her element.

“I’ve grown up around the aviation industry,” Shields said. “I had a little bit of industry knowledge that helped us understand the case more.”

Each team also worked with an assigned coach from a company. Experienced Datathon coach Carter Stokeld of Williams guided the winning quartet. 

“He was really good at making sure we were structured and had a plan moving forward throughout the day,” said Taylor, a finance, accounting and MIS junior. “So, we didn’t get lost in the case, or lost in the data and the various thoughts and ideas that we had.”

Teams scattered throughout Business Building conference rooms and locked in on their assignments, facing the looming deadline of Feb. 13 presentations. 

The winners estimated they spent 20 hours on their case from Feb. 12-13, but it wasn’t nonstop data analysis. Teams took lunch and dinner breaks, and their work involved much more than crunching numbers.

“It’s important to note that we’re not working on the same thing constantly,” Lindsey said. “Once you identify your solution, then you have to prepare an executive summary. Then, you also have to do a presentation, and you have a dashboard that you have to turn in. Having the different assignments also helped divide up that time.”

Fueled by caffeine and visions of an oversized check, the four students kept working as the sun set. They stayed in the Business Building until it closed at 9 p.m. and their coach left for the evening. The students maintained their focus, moving to the Student Union and then hopping to Edmon Low Library before calling it a night around 1 a.m. 

Acing the presentations

The sun rose, and the preliminary round of presentations approached.

Maharshi knew his team couldn’t overlook this stage.

“The presentation plays a very important role, especially the storytelling,” Maharshi said. 

The five teams with the highest scores qualified for the finals. These students had only about 25 minutes to update their materials based on judges’ feedback before presenting again. 

During their final presentation, the winners experienced a situation that prepared them for the unpredictable nature of real-world business meetings. Although technical difficulties with Lindsey’s laptop added an extra challenge, all members handled it with composure instead of succumbing to distractions.

“Through the various practices and trial runs, we got better and better each time,” Taylor said. “By the final presentation, I was pretty confident that we all knew what we were doing and that we could do better than what we had done each time before.”

Going for the win

Like Maharshi, Shields aimed to at least finish in the top 5 and win a scholarship.

Their team not only met the goal, but exceeded it with a first-place triumph.

“It just shows us that when we really work hard at something and really put our minds to it with full effort, we can do more than maybe we previously expected to,” Shields said.

Maharshi shared advice for any student considering signing up for next year’s Datathon.

“Go for it, just to have that experience,” Maharshi said. “It’s very important to know how you work when you’re under pressure. That really helps you to evaluate your own abilities and see how you can add value when you’re in that kind of situation.”