Missouri S&T’s team in action. Photo by Sam O’Keefe, Missouri S&T.

Missouri University of Science and Technology recently hosted a competition designed to simulate a mine emergency. University teams competed alongside teams from industry, including Doe Run, Vulcan Materials Co. and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).

Eight professional teams and three university teams, including two from Missouri S&T, competed at the Missouri Regional Mine Rescue Contest held Sept. 24-25 at Missouri S&T’s Experimental Mine in Rolla, Missouri.

The contest, which is designed to test the teams’ rescue skills during a simulated mine disaster, included four events: field contest, technician team, first aid and team trainer test. Each event included a written examination. Missouri S&T’s gold team earned eighth in field, sixth in first aid and fifth in team technician. Missouri S&T’s black team earned seventh in the field, eighth in first aid and seventh in team technician.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) judged the competition and determined the winners. MSHA also provided the competition’s field, written and technical problems for the event.

The following are members of Missouri S&T’s gold team:

Katie Sewester, a senior in mining engineering from Viola, Kansas

Robert Florich, a senior in economics and mining engineering from St. Louis

Dana Resmini, a senior in mining engineering from Rochester, Massachusetts

Eric Wesel, a senior in mining engineering from Marietta, Ohio

T Galbraith, a senior in mining engineering from Steelville, Missouri

Jordan Verslues, a senior in mining engineering from Rocheport, Missouri

Deanna Millard, a senior in mining engineering from Peculiar, Missouri

Elizabeth Shuman, a freshman in mining engineering from St. Louis.

The following are members of Missouri S&T’s black team:

Daykin Schnell, a senior in mining engineering from Lincoln, Nebraska

Hayden Pearson, a sophomore in mining engineering from Eliot, Maine

Drew Hanneke, a senior in mining engineering from O’Fallon, Missouri

Emma Wilhite, a sophomore in mining engineering from Santa Claus, Indiana

Holden Henry, a senior in mining engineering from Ellington, Missouri

Jimmy Nash, a junior in mining engineering from Rolla, Missouri

Gregor Weber, a senior in mining engineering from Ballwin, Missouri

Kyle Rousan, a senior mining engineering from St. Louis.