The Missouri S&T Mine Rescue Team outscored three professional teams, finishing in sixth place out of nine in the 2023 Missouri Regional Mine Rescue Competition held at the S&T Experimental Mine in late September.

The competition was judged by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Missouri Department of Labor Cave and Mine Safety.

The S&T team came in fourth in the first aid category, fifth in the BG 4 Benching test category, which requires teams to check a breathing apparatus for faults, and seventh in the technician category.

Members of the S&T team included:

• Thomas Barnes, a freshman in mining engineering from Center, Missouri
• Ashley David, a senior in mining engineering from Rolla, Missouri
• Mary Kathryn Deister, a senior in mining engineering from St. Louis and the team’s captain
• Joseph Dereberry, a senior in nuclear engineering from Rolla, Missouri
• Joseph Ewer, a sophomore in mining engineering from Kearney, Missouri
• Jacob Meier, a Ph.D. student in explosives engineering from Robertsville, Missouri
• Brett Scott, a senior in mining engineering from Aurora, Illinois
• Finnur Shelton, a freshman in mining engineering from Geneva, Illinois

Mucking Teams

In March 2023, S&T mucking teams competed in the 45th Intercollegiate Mining Competition held at the Western Australia School of Mines (WASM). The university’s co-ed team earned second-place honors for its division, while the men’s team came in seventh.

Melodie Wilcox, a senior in mining engineering from New Madrid, Missouri, says she enjoyed competing against teams from around the world in the co-ed division.

“This year’s contest had some fierce competitors who gave Missouri S&T a run for our money,” Wilcox says. “Taking second place overall in our division was a highlight for the season and a great way to end the year.”

The international mining competition requires students to complete old-fashioned mining techniques in timed events. These techniques are typically known as “mucking.” The different areas for the competition include jackleg drilling, track standing, hand mucking, hand steeling, gold panning, surveying and Swede sawing.

The co-ed team scored in the top-three in every event and was the top co-ed team in jackleg drilling.

Teams came from around the world to compete in the annual event. Schools participating this year included: Missouri S&T; WASM; University of Western Australia; the University of Queensland; South Dakota School of Mines; Montana Technological University; Colorado School of Mines; Camborne School of Mines, and the University of Nevada-Reno. Most of the schools had multiple teams competing in different divisions.

Members of the S&T co-ed team included:

• Garrett Bell, a junior in mining engineering from Loogootee, Indiana 
• Harrison Hood, a senior in mining engineering from Salem, Illinois
• Kate Johnson, a junior in mining engineering from St. Charles, Missouri
• Jack Ryan, a junior in chemistry from St. Louis
• Julia Walker, a senior in mining engineering from Cape Girardeau, Missouri 
• Melodie Wilcox, a senior in mining engineering from New Madrid, Missouri

Members of the S&T men’s team included:

• Chase Acton, a senior in mining engineering from Kansas City, Missouri
• Nicolo Bortolotti-Aschenbrenner, a sophomore in mining engineering from Eagle River, Wisconsin
• Ed Christian, a senior in mining engineering from Lake St. Louis, Missouri
• Jacob Lenz, a senior in civil engineering from Prairie Home, Missouri
• Jacob Meier, a Ph.D. student in explosives engineering from Robertsville, Missouri 
• Dustin Peterson, a senior in mining engineering from Grain Valley, Missouri

Design Teams

Two S&T design teams competed in 2023 competitions sponsored by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA).

S&T’s Metal Design Team and Aggregate Design Team completed Phase I of the contests at home and then advanced to Phase II, which was held during the SME Annual Conference in February in Denver. Only the top six teams in the worldwide competitions advance to the second phase.

The metal team finished in fourth place, while the aggregate team was unranked, as only the top three teams were announced.

Members of the Metal Design Team included:

• Natalie Benson, a senior in mining engineering from Hoffman Estates, Illinois
• Santiago Reina, a senior in mining engineering from Ecuador
• Nicolas Sanchez Calderon, a senior in mining engineering from Ecuador and the team’s captain
• Spenser Walchuk, a senior in metallurgical engineering from Rolla, Missouri
• Gunnar Wurst, a senior in mining engineering from St. Louis

Members of the Aggregate Design Team included:

• Nicolo Bortolotti-Aschenbrenner, a sophomore in mining engineering from Eagle River, Wisconsin
• Lonnie Boutwell, a senior in mining engineering from Rolla, Missouri
• Morgan Cauveren, a senior in mining engineering from Bates City, Missouri and the team’s captain
• Cameron Mitchell, a senior in mining engineering from West Columbia, South Carolina
• Dustin Peterson, a senior in mining engineering from Grain Valley, Missouri
• Nicole Wagoner, a senior in mining engineering from St. Louis