From quickly and accurately installing a section of rail line to drilling deep holes through concrete with hand-held steel chisels and hammers, Mines students proved they’re among the best in the world, finishing tops nationally and internationally in a competition that pitted them against peers from other top mining engineering universities.
The South Dakota School of School of Mines & Technology sent two teams, one of which placed third internationally and finished as the top overall university in the United States. In competing with 41 collegiate teams on individual events, Mines students earned two first places, a second place and three third places at the International Mining Games Competition.
Sixteen universities from throughout the world, including Canada, England and Australia, competed in seven events at this year’s matchup hosted by the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo., March 13-17.
Two teams from Mines were SD Blue and SD Gold. SD Blue finished as the top United States university and placed third overall, behind teams from Australia and Camborne, England, respectively. Specifically, SD Blue placed first in Track Stand, first in Hand Steel, second in Swede Saw, third in Jack Leg and third in Mucking. SD Gold placed third in Gold Pan.
The games celebrate traditional mining practices and serve to create a world-wide community of mining students. First held in 1978, the event was designed to honor the 91 miners who perished in a fire in 1972 at Sunshine Mine, located between Kellogg and Wallace, Idaho. Events are:
- Track Stand – A timed event requiring a team of five people to add a section of rail onto an existing rail as quickly and accurately as possible.
- Ore Muck – Five members work to fill a 2-ton ore cart and run it down a track for the best overall time.
- Gold Pan – Competitors search for flattened lead shot in a dirt-filled gold pan.
- Swede Saw – A team of five alternate cutting through a 6-inch by 6-inch timber with 36-inch bow saws.
- Hand Steel – Five members drill into a concrete block with chisel-like steels and a hammer, alternating individuals every two minutes for the deepest cumulative hole.
- Jackleg – Two competitors use a pneumatic drill in order to advance the deepest hole in a concrete block in three minutes.
- Survey – Teams of two must accurately compute the coordinates of an ending point using a Wild T2 Mod (erect image) theodolite.
Mines students who competed were Aline Leite, mining department exchange student from Brazil; Kaitlynn Blake, junior from Sioux Falls; Thomas Starr, freshman Pflugerville, Texas; Chad Weeks, junior from Collinsville, Ill.; Derek Gustafson, freshman from Puposky, Minn.; Matt Spencer, freshman from Santa Maria, Calif.; Sam Middlestadt, sophomore from Pavillion, Wyo.; Kaylea Palmer, senior from Rapid City; Kathleen Tew, junior from Pueblo West, Colo.; Cody Goetz, sophomore from Wesley, Iowa; David Fielding, senior from Black Hawk; Sean Bailey, sophomore from Plymouth Meeting, Penn.; Brett Carlson, senior from Rapid City; Jordan Helgesen, senior from Rapid City; Jamie Brezina, senior from Rapid City; and Joe Golliher, senior from Fort Collins, Colo. All except Carlson are majoring in mining engineering. Carlson is majoring is metallurgical engineering. Department head Shashi Kanth and Professor Kelli McCormick attended the event in support of the event.