Montana Tech Mining Teams Dominate Competition

Montana Tech’s Mining Teams excelled at the 41st annual International Collegiate Mining Competition hosted by the University of Nevada Reno, Mackay School of Mines in Virginia City, Nevada on March 20-23, 2019.
TWomen's Teameams displayed their skills in seven old-fashioned mining skills of gold panning, track laying, surveying, hand steel, jackleg drilling, hand mucking and swede sawing. Competing teams were from Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Brazil and the USA representing Montana Tech, University of Nevada-Reno, Missouri Science & Technology, University of Kentucky, University of Arizona, South Dakota School of Mines, Colorado School of Mines, Virginia Tech, University of West Australia, Queensland University, UNIFAL, University of Sao Paolo, Queens University, and Camborne School of Mines.
Awards
This year’s competition included 18 men’s teams, 7 alumni teams, 7 co-ed teams, and 8 women’s teams. Montana Tech sent two men’s teams, two coed teams and one women’s team to the competition. The Montana Tech teams consisted of thirty-one students (with 20 being first-time competitors) from mining, geological, metallurgical, civil and mechanical engineering.
Coed Surveying
Montana Tech’s JDS Energy & Mining team took first place overall in the men’s division and returned to Butte with the Sunshine Trophy. The second men’s team, Orphan Boy, placed sixth overall. Co-ed team, Neversweat, placed second with Anselmo placing fourth. The first women’s team in many years, Orphan Girl, placed second overall. A Montana Tech alumni team, the MT Mafia, placed third. There were twenty-one placings (first through third) in all of the events. JDS Energy and Mining consisted of captain David Otto, Zane White, Race Owens, Seth Gudgel and Nick Warman. “Women's CompetitionOf the 31 competitors who competed in Virginia City, only two will graduate from Montana Tech this year. So, look out next year when the competition is hosted by Colorado School of Mines,” said Chris Roos, Mining Engineering Assistant Professor. Roos and Scott Rosenthal, Mining Engineering Department Head and Associate Professor, along with Larry Hoffman, Adjunct Professor, attended the competition. “All Montana Tech teams competed hard and it was great to see so many new members get involved,” mentioned Rosenthal. “It was amazing to see a Montana Tech women’s team compete for the first time in a long time and take second place, especially against schools that continually field women’s teams.” Roos added, “These are mostly physical events that require practiced technique to beat the competition and having our indoor facility to practice in all winter really paid off.”

The University of Idaho began the mining competition in 1978 and it was later dedicated to honor the memory of 91 miners who died on May 2, 1972, when fire broke out in the Sunshine Mine near Kellogg, Idaho, one of the world’s largest silver mines. Since then, the games have been dedicated to all miners who die on the job. Montana Tech has participated in all 41 annual events.

For more information, please contact Scott Rosenthal, Department Head of Mining Engineering at Montana Tech, at 406-496-4867.