Missouri S&T finished strong in this year’s mucking competition in Rolla. As the host university, Missouri S&T welcomed student teams from across the United States and around the world.

The Missouri S&T women’s team placed first overall, with first-place finishes in track stand, jackleg drill, hand steel, hand mucking, surveying and Swede saw. The women placed second in gold panning.

Two men’s teams represented Missouri S&T. The Limestone Cowboys finished second overall with a first-place finish in track stand and second place finishes in jackleg drill, Swede saw and surveying. The A Team placed fifth overall after winning first place in surveying and second place in track stand.

S&T’s co-ed team, the Boom Nerds, placed seventh overall.

The following competitors represented Missouri S&T:

The A Team men’s team

• Garrett Bell, a junior in mining engineering from Loogootee, Indiana
• John Ehart, a senior in mining engineering from Ballwin, Missouri
• Seth Evans, a senior in mechanical engineering from Rolla, Missouri
• Nicolas Sanchez, a senior in mining engineering from Quito, Ecuador
• Brett Winterberg, a senior in explosives engineering from Lavale, Maryland.

Boom Nerds co-ed team

• Sean Bailey, a freshman in civil engineering from Jefferson City, Missouri 
• Everett Baker, a graduate student in explosives engineering from Bedford, New Hampshire
• Rachel Bauer, a graduate student in explosives engineering from St. Marys, Pennsylvania
• Emily Johnson, a graduate student in explosives engineering from Fenton, Missouri 
• Frank Schott, a senior in explosives engineering from Salem, Missouri
• Cody Thomas, a graduate student in explosives engineering from Rolla, Missouri.

Limestone Cowboys men’s team

• Chase Acton, a junior in mining engineering from Kansas City, Missouri
• Nicolo Bortolotti-Aschenbrenner, a freshman in mining engineering from Eagle River, Wisconsin
• Ed Christian, a senior in mining engineering from Lake Saint Louis, Missouri
• Jacob Lenz, a senior in civil engineering from Prairie Home, Missouri
• Ryan Sibley, a senior in explosives engineering from Black, Missouri
• Alex Wolff, a senior in mining engineering from St. Louis.

The Rockstars women’s team

• Natalie Benson, a senior in mining engineering from Hoffman Estates, Illinois
• Hannah Hill, a senior in mining engineering from Wentzville, Missouri
• Katherine Johnson, a junior in mining engineering from St. Charles, Missouri  
• Julia Walker, a senior in mining engineering from Cape Girardeau, Missouri  
• Melodie Wilcox, a senior in mining engineering from New Madrid, Missouri.

S&T’s teams competed against rivals from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, Montana Technological University in Butte, Colorado School of Mines in Golden, the University of Arizona in Tucson, the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada in Reno, Camborne School of Mines in Penryn, England, and Western Australia School of Mines in Kalgoorlie, Australia.

The Tater Patch team took the top spot in the alumni division, with Rockin’ Old Muckers finishing in second place. Tater Patch 2 finished third, Doe Run Alumni landed in fourth place, and Rolla Faculty tied with the Washed Up Wildcats of Arizona for fifth place.

Mine Design Team

Two Missouri S&T design teams competed in Phase I of the 2022 student design competition sponsored by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA). Phase I was completed at home, and one of our teams advanced to Phase II in Salt Lake City in February.

Missouri S&T’s Phase II team placed third and won a $1,000 cash prize. We are proud of our team members:

• Morgan Cauveren, a senior from Lee’s Summit, Missouri
• Ashley Davis, a senior from Erie, Illinois (Phase I)
• Regan Pazdera, a senior from Montgomery City, Missouri
• Dusty Peterson, a senior from Grain Valley, Missouri (Phase II)
• Evan Rackers, a senior from Jefferson City, Missouri
• Ryan Sibley, a graduate student from Black, Missouri
• Alex Wolff, a senior from St. Louis, Missouri

Davis played on Missouri S&T’s softball team and had an athletic competition that conflicted with Phase II. Peterson took her place in Salt Lake City.

Mine Rescue

Missouri S&T’s student team competed against mine industry professionals in this year’s mine rescue competition, held Sept. 27-29 at the Experimental Mine. The team, the only students in the competition, came in third in the BG-4 Benchman test, in which they checked a breathing apparatus for potentially dangerous faults.

The following students are on the S&T team:

• Grant Clark, first aid, a senior in geology and geophysics from Le Roy, Illinois
• Mary Kathryn Deister, fresh-air base, a junior in mining engineering from Wildwood, Missouri
• Josh Dierking, map man, a senior in mining engineering from Sullivan, Missouri
• Alec Gray, cable puller, a junior in mining engineering from Saint Charles, Missouri
• Dustin Peterson, captain, a senior in mining engineering from Grain Valley, Missouri
• Robert “Trey” Menendez, fresh air base assistant, a junior in mining engineering from Ballwin, Missouri
• Brett Scott, co-captain, a junior in mining engineering from Aurora Illinois
• Nicole Wagoner, gas man, a senior in mining engineering from St. Louis.