Orediggers Win On and Off the Field

Transcript

That was fantastic. Okay. So we’ve talked a lot about what it’s like to learn here at Mines, but of course, we can’t forget about Mines’ top ranked national championship winning athletics program. We’re gonna meet up with Kat, who recently got her bachelor’s degree from Mines, but is back pursuing a master’s degree in operations research. She’s also on the track and field team, and is gonna walk us through what it’s like to be an Oredigger athlete. Kat, you’re up.

– Thanks for the introduction, Alex. My older sister went to Mines. And after spending Thanksgiving and winter breaks watching her play Oredigger basketball, I knew Mines was the school for me. But I didn’t just want to follow in her footsteps, so I chose a different university. I immediately knew I made a mistake and quickly transferred to Mines, and it has been one of the best decisions I have made. I found a strong tight-knit community of athletes who are willing to welcome me in and help me navigate being a student athlete, sitting next to me in classes, and forming late night study groups after practice. My coaches and fellow athletes pushed me to expand my circle, where organizations like Blue Key, undergraduate student government, and more welcomed me and other athletes in with open arms to make Mines a better place. Here at Mines, athletes win on and off the field. Last year, our teams accounted for more than seven Rocky mountain athletic conference championships, more than 20 individual RMAC champions, winning the All Sports Cup five years running, and five of our teams had the highest GPA in the RMAC. Not to mention, our men’s cross country team won the national championship in 2015 and 2019, while also boasting the highest GPA in those seasons. Many of our athletes are RMAC, all academic team members, all Americans, and we can always count on a summit award winner or two, which is given to the athlete competing with the highest GPA at our conference tournaments. Orediggers sure know how to stay ahead of the game. In addition to our varsity teams, our club sports teams strive for excellence as well. We have so many opportunities for students to get involved, from soccer, to water polo, to rugby. They consistently compete against larger schools like CEU, CSU, and DU, while getting bids to the national championship as well. Mines athletic prepares every student athlete for life after college. Our coaches, administration, and professors work hard to ensure that we’re ready to succeed. Competing in one of the hardest conferences in D2 while getting a STEM degree teaches each and every one of us at Mines what it means to persevere and push through anything thrown your way. Now throwing it back to you, Alex.

– Thank you, Kat. Those views from the stadium are incredible. Thanks for sharing your experiences as an athlete, and all the opportunities you were able to pursue here at Mines. We can’t wait to see where life takes you next. Take care, Kat.