GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines will bring back men's and women's diving to compete at the NCAA Division II level starting with the 2025-26 season.
 
Bruno Albertoni and Gabi Batol will be the first Oredigger divers to compete for Mines in more than a decade. Albertoni arrived in Golden this fall as a true freshman. Batol is in her second year at Mines but still retains four years of collegiate eligibility. Katherine Andrie will coach the duo and look to regrow the program in the coming years.
 
"Returning a program with such rich history is a truly special opportunity," said Colorado School of Mines Director of Athletics David Hansburg. "Having divers back in an Oredigger uniform provides additional opportunities for conference and national recognition, enhances the overall Mines experience, and bolsters one of the best departments in all of NCAA Division II."
 
The history of Mines diving includes 12 all-Americans, an individual national champion, one of the first women in Mines Athletics, and multiple members of the Harry D. Campbell Oredigger Hall of Fame. A few of those hall of fame members include NCAA Division II National Champion Rick Williamson, former head coach Bob McCandless, the 1983 Women's Swimming & Diving team, and the Men's Swimming & Diving teams from 1981-84. That rich history threads perfectly with the current goals of the program and the department.
 
"Bringing diving back has been a long-term vision for this program, and I am ecstatic that 2025 is the year diving returns to Mines," said Oredigger swimming & diving Head Coach Claire McDaniel. "I cannot thank Coach Andrie enough for being so wonderful to work with as we navigate this new venture. She is an excellent diving coach and has an invigorating passion and excitement for Mines and diving. Swimming plus diving is true synergy, and I'm excited to see how Mines diving grows over the coming years."
 
Coach Andrie joins the staff with both an impressive résumé as a diving coach, and a personal familiarity with Colorado School of Mines. Two of her children, Marty and Carlie, attended Mines and competed for the Orediggers. Marty was a nine-time all-American in cross country and track & field and a member of the 2015 Men's Cross Country team which won the NCAA Division II Championship. That team was inducted into the Harry D. Campbell Oredigger Hall of Fame in 2023. Carlie competed in triathlon and for the club water polo team during her time at Mines. On deck, Coach Andrie boasts multiple decades of high school and club coaching experience with stops at numerous high schools in the Denver area including Valor Christian, Littleton, Douglas County, Smoky Hill, and more. She was named East Metro Diving Coach of the Year in 2011 and CHSAA 4A Dive Coach of the Year in 2018.
 
"I am honored to be chosen to re-launch the diving program at Mines," said coach Andrie. "The Orediggers have long been known for their reputation of excellence in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and the return of diving will compliment a talented pool of coaches and student-athletes already in the program. I am excited to see some very talented divers jumping into this season and the next. Bruno Albertoni and Gabi Batol are eager to show off their talent and Oredigger spirit by representing Mines at the conference and national level. This will be a fantastic and fun year for Colorado School of Mines swimming & diving."
 
Albertoni signed with Mines after attending Colorado Early Colleges while competing for Highlands Ranch High School and Mile High Dive Club. His club career led to appearances at USA Diving Junior Nationals in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. At the USA Diving Zone E competition, Albertoni finished first in all three events including the 3-meter springboard, 1-meter springboard, and platform. He was also recognized nationally for his academic accomplishments in 2025.
 
Batol, who is a sophomore at Mines, attended and competed for Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Waimea. She won gold in the women's 1-meter springboard at the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) Championships. She also finished fourth in the 1-meter at Hawaii's state championships. Batol's high score in a 1-meter 11 dive meet was 406.5. She competed in gymnastics as well.
 
The first event of the season for Oredigger swimming & diving will be the Alumni Meet on Oct. 4 during Mines Homecoming Weekend. Official competition beings Oct. 10-11 when the Orediggers host Adams State. Albertoni and Batol will look to make their collegiate diving debuts on Oct. 24 against Colorado College inside the Mines Natatorium.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines swimming & diving on "X" (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.