Orediggers Honored at 2024 Blaster Awards

GOLDEN, Colo - Colorado School of Mines Athletics celebrated the ninth annual Blaster Awards on April 30 at Volk Gym, handing out awards in 14 categories to honor the best of the best in Oredigger athletics. Mines head coaches nominated and voted on 11 of the awards while the Community Impact Award was voted on by the Mines Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and the Iron Digger Awards were selected by the Mines strength and conditioning staff.

The winners are featured below. Nominees for each category can be seen HERE.

Female Rookie of the Year

Awarded to an outstanding female athlete who is in their first year of eligibility (either true freshman or redshirt freshman). Transfers are not eligible unless they are a redshirt freshman.

Bella Campos - Women's Soccer

Bella Campos was crowned D2CCA Third-Team All-America after earning two all-region nods and winning RMAC Freshman of the Year. She broke the program record for goals by a freshman with 16 while adding four assists for 36 points. Three of her goals were game-winners as she led the RMAC in scoring.

Male Rookie of the Year

Awarded to an outstanding male athlete who is in their first year of eligibility (either true freshman or redshirt freshman). Transfers are not eligible unless they are a redshirt freshman.

Alex Romack - Men's Basketball

Alex Romack was named the 2023-24 RMAC Freshman of the Year after a successful inaugural campaign. He appeared in all 33 of Mines' games with 32 starts. The Indiana native averaged 8.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while blocking 27 shots. He converted at .645 from the floor and recorded six double-doubles - the most in a season since 2017-18. Romack also became the first player in program history to shoot 100% in a game on a minimum of 10 shot attempts.

Female Academic Athlete of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding female scholar-athlete, with a combination of athletic and academic achievement taken into consideration. 

Margaux Basart - Women's Cross Country / Track & Field

The 2023 RMAC Summit Award winner in cross country got it done on the course and in the classroom. Margaux Basart was voted RMAC Academic Runner of the Year and finished Second-Team All-RMAC at the 2023 conference championships. She added USTFCCCA Second-Team All-America status on the track after taking 10th in the nation in the 3,000-meter run at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. Her all-American race also broke the program record in the indoor 3K at 9:28.24. Additionally, Basart finished fourth in the steeplechase at the 2024 RMAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships for Second-Team All-RMAC distinction.

Male Academic Athlete of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding male scholar-athlete, with a combination of athletic and academic achievement taken into consideration. 

Duncan Fuehne - Men's Cross Country/Track & Field

In 2023-24 alone, Duncan Fuehne was an all-American in both cross country and track. He finished 11th in the nation at the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships and also took seventh in the indoor 5K at the NCAA indoor championships. While he has yet to compete at the national outdoor race, Fuehne already won RMAC gold in the 10,000-meter run. His work in the classroom netted 2023 RMAC Academic Runner of the Year in cross country. The New Mexico native was also named the 2023 D2CCA National Scholar-Athlete of the Year and RMAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Comeback Player of the Year

Awarded to an athlete, male or female, who overcame injury, illness, or other adversity, to perform at a high level this season

Cody Thompson - Wrestling

In January of 2023, Cody Thompson suffered a high-grade sprain of his SC joint which ended his true sophomore season. After a summer of rehab, Thompson charged through the 2023-24 dual schedule undefeated at 10-0 and did not lose a single match to a RMAC opponent. He rode that momentum all the way to the NCAA national finals at 149 pounds and earned NWCA All-American status. Along the way, the Loveland, Colo., native won a regional title and was crowned NWCA Super Region VI Wrestler of the Year. He finished the season 25-3 overall which led the team in wins.

SAAC Community Impact Award

The SAAC Community Impact award is voted upon by the membership of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to recognize the outstanding community service by either one student-athlete, a group, or a team. 

Yahir Chairez-Salazar - Wrestling

Mines' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee selected wrestling's Yahir Chairez-Salazar as the honoree for the SAAC Community Impact Award for his exceptional resilience, determination, and positive attitude and influence following a life-altering car accident. Yahir responded to his new challenges with perseverance and returned to the mat and his team. He has, “become a beacon of inspiration for his peers and the community, working with UC Health, the adaptive sports community, Boy Scouts youth, SAAC, FCA, and many student-athletes and non-student-athletes throughout the community.”

Female Iron Digger Award

Awarded to two seniors, one male and one female, who has demonstrated unparalleled dedication to physical preparation. Candidates will have been at the forefront of their team's training in both personal improvement and leadership, exemplifying whit means to work behind the scenes. Candidates must have appeared in at least 50% of their team's competitions. This award is voted on by the strength and conditioning staff.

Sidney Wilson - Softball

Softball team captain Sidney Wilson brought home the Female Iron Digger Award. Over the last four years, Wilson has played in (and started) 182 of a possible 185 games. For her career, the Broomfield, Colo., native has batted .344 with 187 hits including 32 doubles with 95 RBI and 90 runs. Her 60 walks rank top-10 in program history. The 2024 Female Iron Digger is still climbing the ranks in the program record book in career hits and doubles as well.

Male Iron Digger Award

Awarded to two seniors, one male and one female, who has demonstrated unparalleled dedication to physical preparation. Candidates will have been at the forefront of their team's training in both personal improvement and leadership, exemplifying whit means to work behind the scenes. Candidates must have appeared in at least 50% of their team's competitions. This award is voted on by the strength and conditioning staff.

Daniel Caddy - Wrestling

Senior wrestler Daniel Caddy earned the 2024 Male Iron Digger Award. At 157 pounds in 2023-24, Caddy grinded out a pair of wins in three duals and put up 10 points for the Orediggers. He only dropped one match to a RMAC opponent. It adds to a career featuring 15 wins at one of the most competitive weights in the sport.

Female Oredigger Excellence Award

Awarded to a female senior who has completed their eligibility and has distinguished themselves in an outstanding manner in achievement, leadership, and school spirit over the course of their Mines careers.

Zoe Baker - Women's Cross Country/Track & Field

Zoe Baker wins the 2024 Female Oredigger Excellence Award as the most decorated Oredigger student-athlete in the history of Mines Athletics. She's a 13-time USTFCCCA All-American across cross country and track & field, and still has the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships remaining. She helped the Mines women's cross country team to their first national podium in program history and three more after that. Baker also advanced to the top-nine for NCAA Woman of the Year and won multiple CSC Academic All-American of the Year awards - the first Oredigger across any sport to ever attain either accomplishment.

Male Oredigger Excellence Award

Awarded to a male senior who has completed their eligibility and has distinguished themselves in an outstanding manner in achievement, leadership, and school spirit over the course of their Mines careers.

John Matocha - Football

In his final year as an Oredigger student-athlete, John Matocha became the greatest touchdown producer in college football history passing for 162 career TDs and producing 191 total across four seasons. He owns the NCAA D-II record for career QB rating and RMAC records in total offense (17,006), completion percentage (.701), passing yards (15,006), starts (57), and wins by a QB (50). The Texan was the 2022 Harlon Hill Award and was the 2023 runner-up as national player of the year in D2 football. In the classroom he is a three-time CSC Academic All-American including the 2022-23 Academic All-American of the Year for all D2 sports. Additionally, Matocha was a four-time all-American on the field, four-year starter, and two-time team captain who led a team that went 50-7 in the games he started. He led the program to four straight RMAC titles, three straight region titles, and the national title game two years in a row.

Female Athlete of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding female athlete of the year

Hannah Miller - Women's Track & Field

Hannah Miller becomes the third Oredigger to win back-to-back Female Athlete of the Year honors at the Blaster Awards. During the 2023-24 season, Miller was USTFCCCA First-Team All-America and national runner-up in the indoor pole vault. She also earned 2024 RMAC Indoor Field Athlete of the Year after winning RMAC gold and setting the conference all-time pole vault record at 4.27 meters. Additionally, the Texas native was recognized as the 2023 Colorado Sportswoman of the Year for college track & field.

Male Athlete of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding Male athlete of the year

John Matocha - Football

John Matocha is the first Oredigger to ever win multiple Male Athlete of the Year honors at the Blaster Awards, going back-to-back from 2023 to 2024. In his senior season alone, Matocha was a consensus all-American and CSC First-Team Academic All-American. He became college fooball's all-time leader in passing (162) and total (191) touchdowns. He was a Harlon Hill Award finalist, finishing runner-up in the voting. Most of all, he led Mines to the NCAA national championship game for a second straight season thanks to 4,298 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, 449 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns. 

Coaching Staff of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding coaching staff of the year

Football

Led by NFFCC Colorado Coach of the Year and AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Pete Sterbick, the Mines football coaching staff guided their team back to the NCAA national championship game for a second straight year. Under the guidance of Sterbick and his staff, the Orediggers set the program record for wins at 14-1 and won the program's fifth consecutive RMAC championship with a perfect 9-0 record. Additionally, Mines football achieved the first #1 ranking in program history during the 2023 season.

Team of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding team of the year

Football

Mines football was crowned Team of the Year for just the second time in the history of the Blaster Awards after a second consecutive run to the NCAA national championship game. The Orediggers set the program record for wins, going 14-1. That success included a fifth straight RMAC championship thanks to a perfect 9-0 record against conference opponents. Along the way, Mines football also achieved the first #1 ranking in program history among numerous other milestones.