U of A alumni shine at mining competition
In the hand steel contest, SMEMR senior Kaitlyn Sutow (right), with the University of Arizona Copper Queens team, chisels a hole into cement during the 48th annual Intercollegiate Mining Games.
The University of Arizona’s San Xavier Mining Laboratory hosted the 48th annual Intercollegiate Mining Games in March, featuring more than 250 mining students from five countries. The annual competition, started in 1979, has grown into a fierce celebration of safety, leadership, and communication. U of A has competed in the games since its inception.
“You get to meet all the other schools. We’ve got people from the other side of the planet here in the Arizona heat,” said Copper Queens team member Kaitlyn Sutow, a senior in SMEMR.
While events still spotlight traditional mining skills rarely used today, the real prize is professional growth.
“The games are fun, but what they are learning along the way can be applied to their careers and industry,” said Kray Luxbacher, Gregory H. and Lisa S. Boyce Leadership Chair and executive director of SMEMR. “They are learning leadership, networking and safety ... I always tell students you'll be surprised how often you see the person sitting next to you for the next 50 years.”
When the dust settled, three of 45 teams claimed overall first place prizes across seven events – mucking, gold panning, Swede sawing, jackleg drilling, track stand, hand steel and surveying. U of A seized the alumni title, the South Dakota School of Mining and Technology teams swept the men's and coed competitions, and in the women's category, the Camborne School of Mines at the University of Exeter triumphed.