By: Sam Boender
GOLDEN, Colo. – The Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball team has four newcomers joining the squad this fall according to Head Coach
Brittany Simpson who unveiled her signing class for the upcming season.
Lindsey Jones, Olivia Lee, Jade Leon, and Jaycee Pittman are set to bolster the Orediggers' roster for the upcoming campaign. Jones, Leon and Pittman will arrive in Golden as true freshmen. Lee, older sister of current Mines center
Michaela Lee, transfers to Mines following two seasons at Cal State San Bernardino after playing her first two collegiate campaigns at Western New Mexico. Overall, the class represents Arizona, California, Colorado, and Florida. Two guards, one forward, and one center make up the positional breakdown.
Below is a snapshot of the incoming class:
| Lindsey Jones |
6-0 |
F |
San Marcos, Calif. / Mission Hills HS |
| Olivia Lee |
6-1 |
C/F |
Peoria, Ariz. / Cal State San Bernardino |
| Jade Leon |
5-11 |
G |
Miami, Fla. / Palmer Trinity HS |
| Jaycee Pittman |
5-9 |
G |
Parachute, Colo. / Grand Valley HS |
Lindsey Jones – 6-0 – Forward
San Marcos, Calif. – Mission Hills HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four varsity letters playing basketball at Mission Hills High School in California … Averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game … Also shot 93 percent from the free-throw line … Earned CIF San Diego Section Open Division Championship Player of the Game … Played club basketball for San Diego Relentless … Appeared on the Honnor Roll and was a Cardinal Scholar … Plans to major in civil engineering at Mines.
Olivia Lee – 6-1 – Center/Forward
Peoria, Ariz. – Cal State San Bernardino/Western New Mexico (Cactus HS)
CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO (2022-24): Arrived at California State University, San Bernardino, in time for the 2022-23 season … Appeared in 21 games with four starts during her first campaign as a Coyote … Totaled 102 points, 63 rebounds, nine assists, nine blocks, and nine steals … Averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 52.4 percent from the floor including two three-pointers on four attempts … The 2023-24 season saw her score 149 points and grab 111 rebounds for averages of 5.3 and 4.0 per game … Also had 25 blocks, 11 assists, and three steals in 28 games with three starts … Top performance in California was arguably 14 points and eight rebounds at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Jan. 4, 2024 … Also pulled down 11 rebounds against Stanislaus State during the same season … Was named CSC Academic All-District as well … Earned her bachelor's degree in accounting.
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (2020-22): True freshman season was the campaign directly impacted by COVID-19 … Appeared in four games for a total of 86 minutes while scoring 29 points and grabbing 27 rebounds … Averaged 7.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor … Best performance as a true freshman was 14 points and nine rebounds at Park-Gilbert (Ariz.) on Jan. 24, 2021 … Sophomore season featured 170 points at a 7.4 per-game clip with 178 rebounds (7.7 per game) … Also shot 47.6 percent from the floor had 25 blocks 13 assists, and nine steals … Totaled six double-doubles in 2021-22 including four straight at Midwestern State and Texas Woman's, and against West Texas A&M and Cameron … Best double-double was arguably 15 points and 11 rebounds at Midwestern State … Pulled down 14 rebounds against West Texas A&M.
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-sport athlete at Cactus High School in Arizona, playing basketball and volleyball … For the basketball team, averaged 12.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game … Was named First-Team All-Region in 2017, 2018, and 2019 … Won First-Team All-District after her junior season … Was a middle and pin-hitter for the volleyball team … Graduated Summa Cum Laude and appeared on the dean's list.
Jade Leon – 5-11 – Guard
Miami, Fla. – Palmer Trinity HS – Team Knight 3SSB
HIGH SCHOOL: Competed in basketball as a combo guard at Palmer Trinity School in Florida … Won multiple tournament and team most-valuable-player awards … Brought home the Falcon Award … Mentioned as a standout on numerous occasions … According to MaxPreps career prep basketball statistics included 13.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 steals, and 2.9 assists per game in 114 appearances … Played club basketball for Team Knight 3SSB … Also competed for the varsity softball team at Palmer Trinity … Work off the court included multiple Advance Placement (AP) classes including, but not limited to, biology, computer science, and calculus … Member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, National Spanish Honor Society, and National Art Honor Society … Graduated with high honors … Plans to major in quantitative biosciences and engineering at Mines.
Jaycee Pittman – 5-9 – Guard
Parachute, Colo. – Grand Valley HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-sport athlete at Grand Valley High School in Colorado … Competed in basketball, volleyball, soccer, and track & field … Totaled 14 varsity letters during her prep career … Was a guard for the basketball team with career averages of 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3.9 steals per game … Career totals came out to 1,465 points, 757 rebounds, 350 steals, 271 assists, and 105 blocks … Named First-Team All-Conference four times, First-Team All-State, Second-Team All-State, and WSL Player of the Year … Surpassed 1,000 points for her career as a junior and served as a four-year captain … In volleyball was team Rookie of the Year, All-State Honorable Mention, two-time First-Team All-Conference, and a two-year captain … Soccer brought in two First-Team All-Conference nods as a three-year captain … In track & field, was a three-year state qualifier and ranked top-five in Colorado as part of the 4x400-meter relay and the medley relay … Work in the classroom led to First-Team Academic All-State three times, Principal's Honor Roll four times, and 36 college credits while still in high school … Plans to major in business engineering at Mines.
Fans can keep up with Mines women's basketball on "X" (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @MinesWBB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.
