Students from Around the Globe Compete in Mining Techniques at Tucson Event
Competition isn’t just limited to the sports fields or debate stages for college students. This week in Tucson, a unique contest is unfolding as students vie to prove their prowess in traditional mining techniques. Over 200 participants are gathering for an event often referred to as “the Olympics of collegiate mining.”
The 48th Annual Intercollegiate Mining Games Competition is currently taking place, organized by the University of Arizona’s student chapter of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration. The event is being held on Thursday and Friday at the San Xavier Underground Mining Laboratory in Sahuarita.
Participants will compete in seven events, showcasing skills in categories such as mucking, gold panning, jackleg, hand steel, and surveying. In the mucking event, competitors race a heavy ore cart along a track. The jackleg event challenges teams to drill the deepest hole in a concrete block using specialized equipment. Meanwhile, hand steel requires the use of a hammer and steel chisel to achieve the same goal.
These contests revive mining techniques that are now considered somewhat antiquated in the industry. The tradition of mining games began at the University of Idaho as a tribute to 91 miners who tragically lost their lives in a silver mine fire. Notably, the University of Arizona’s team emerged as the first champions of this commemorative event.
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