Blaster Awards Honor Best of 2026 in Mines Athletics

GOLDEN, Colo - Colorado School of Mines Athletics celebrated the 11th annual Blaster Awards on April 28 at Volk Gym, handing out awards in 14 categories to honor the best of the best in Oredigger athletics. The Orediggers also recognized the President's Senior Scholar-Athletes. Nominations and selections for the Blaster Awards were a combined effort by Mines head coaches, the athletic training staff, and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

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.

Sierra Wall - Cross Country/Track & Field

Sierra Wall becomes the first Mines cross country runner to ever win Female Rookie of the Year at the Blaster Awards and the second from the track & field team after Hannah Miller won in 2020. Wall helped Mines win its first-ever RMAC title in women's cross country and to their highest national finish of #2. She was a USTFCCCA All-American in cross country after finishing 20th in the nation and in indoor track & field thanks to a seventh-place finish in the 5,000m. She broke Mines' steeplechase record as a true freshman and won the RMAC title in the event. Wall also USTFCCCA All-Region, RMAC XC Freshman of the Year, and First-Team All-RMAC.

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.

Cody Wyman - Cross Country

Cody Wyman is the first Oredigger runner to win Male Rookie of the Year at the Blaster Awards since Loic Scomparin claimed the honor in 2021. Wyman put together a stellar freshman campaign on the cross country course, winning RMAC Freshman of the Year and RMAC Freshman of the Meet at the conference championships where he finished 20th for Second-Team All-RMAC distinction. Wyman was also USTFCCCA All-Region after taking 12th at the South Central Regional Championships. He closed the season by finishing 51st in the nation at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships - the second-fastest freshman in the nation.

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 - Cross Country / Track & Field

Margaux Basart makes it six straight cross country stars to win Female Academic Athlete of the Year at the Blaster Awards, and for good reason. In 2025-26 alone, Basart was a USTFCCCA All-American in cross country, a USTFCCCA Second-Team All-American in the indoor 3,000m and 5,000m. She helped Mines win its first-ever RMAC XC Championship and to its highest national finish ever at #2. Furthermore, Basart won the NCAA Elite Scholar-Athlete Award at the national indoor meet. That's because she has an unblemished GPA with a bachelor's degree in engineering physics while pursuing a master's degree in quantum engineering.

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. 

Aiden Bennett - Track & Field

Alex Dunagan - Baseball

This marks the second tie in the history of Male Academic Athlete of the Year at the Blaster Awards. The last Orediggers to split the honor were Duncan Fuehne (XCTF) and Michael Sprauer (MSOC) in 2023. Bennett earns the nod thanks to a 3.952 GPA in mechanical engineering and the RMAC titles in the indoor and outdoor pole vault. Dunagan touts a 4.000 GPA in mechanical engineering while batting .355 and ranking #3 in the nation in total doubles. It's also the first Blaster Award for either Oredigger. Joe Popp was the last to win the award for baseball and Hunter Potrykus represented the track & field team in the category last year.

Female Comeback Player of the Year

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

Natalie Rouse - Soccer

The 2026 Blaster Awards marks the first time that Comeback Player of the Year was split into male and female categories. That makes Natalie Rouse the first winner of Female Comeback Player of the Year in Oredigger history. She earned the honor after returning from a seven hip injury to win RMAC Defensive Player of the Year. Rouse was also a consensus all-American and an Academic All-American in 2025-26. She's the first women's soccer player and just the second Oredigger woman to ever win the award.

Male Comeback Player of the Year

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

Cody Thompson - Wrestling

As stated above, this marks the first time that Comeback Player of the Year has been split into male and female categories at the Blaster Awards. By default, Cody Thompson is the first-ever Male Comeback Player of the Year in Oredigger history. After a spectacular run to the NCAA Division II national finals in 2024, he suffered a hip injury that kept him out of the 2025 championships. Following offseason rehab, Cody rolled all the way back to the NCAA Division II Championships and won the national title at 149 pounds. Thompson was also the Blaster Awards Comeback Player of the Year in 2024. His 2026 distinction makes four straight wrestlers to bring home the honor.

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 & Izaiah Padilla - Wrestling

After winning the very same award last year, Yahir Chairez-Salazar and Izaiah Padilla did not slow down a bit. While internal SAAC volunteer hours aren't widely publicized, Chairez-Salazar and Padilla are considered the historical front runners. Their established track record of recognized service within the SAAC body made them deserving of the award. In addition to last year's honor, Chairez-Salazar was the standalone winner in 2024 as well.

SAAC Oredigger Spirit Award

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

Softball

This was the first year that the SAAC Oredigger Spirit Award was handed out at the Blaster Awards. The accolade was created and 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. Softball became the inaugural winner in 2026.

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.

Avery Wright - Track & Field

Avery Wright wins the Female Oredigger Excellence Award as her first Blaster Award ever. The 2026 edition marked the first time the award was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee instead of voted on by the coaches and staff. Wright claims the honor as a lead on the track & field team who had her senior season cut short by injury. Even with her shortened career, Wright still broke the program records in the 60m hurdles, pentathlon, and heptathlon and won multiple RMAC titles as an Oredigger.

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.

Tim Thompson - Track & Field

Tim Thompson wins the Male Oredigger Excellence Award in the midst of an outstanding senior season. He was an all-American in the indoor 800m. He broke the RMAC indoor 800m and outdoor 4x400 records this season as well. With two RMAC titles at the outdoor championships, Thompson becomes a five-time RMAC champion and is currently a four-time NCAA qualifier and three-time all-American in his career. Like its counterpart, the Male Oredigger Excellence Award was selected by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for the first time in 2026. 

Female Athlete of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding female athlete of the year

Bella Campos - Soccer

Bella Campos becomes the fifth women's soccer play in Oredigger history to win the storied Female Athlete of the Year award at the Blaster Awards. She became back-to-back RMAC Player of the Year while winning Regional Player of the Year and two First-Team All-America nods. During the 2025 season, Campos scored 20 goals with four assists for 44 points and became the second player in Mines history with a 20-goal season. She was also the fourth player with 50, or more, career goals. Campos finished the 2025 campaign tied for #1 in NCAA Division II in goals scored. She tallied a goal in 13 of 21 matches and recorded at least one point in 15 of 21 matches. Campos was Female Rookie of the Year at the 2024 Blaster Awards as well.

Male Athlete of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding male athlete of the year

Cody Thompson - Wrestling

Cody Thompson wins Male Athlete of the Year as his second honor of the 2026 Blaster Awards, making him a three-time winner overall. He was also recognized as one of two President's Senior Scholar-Athletes earlier in the evening. Thompson claims the distinction as top male Oredigger after becoming the NCAA Division II national champion and All-American at 149 pounds. He went 19-1 on the way to the title - the best single-season winning percentage in program history. Thompson's NCAA crown was Mines' first in wrestling since 1998. He also won NCAA Super Region VI and was NWCA Regional Wrestler of the Year as well as First-Team All-RMAC. The icing on the cake was earning NWCA Scholar-All America and First-Team Academic All-RMAC. Thompson is the first wrestler to ever win Male Athlete of the Year at the Blaster Awards.

Coaching Staff of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding coaching staff of the year

Cross Country

The Mines cross country coaching staff headed by Chris Siemers is the Blaster Awards Coaching Staff of the Year yet again. It marks the fifth Siemers and his staff have been selected, but the first back-to-back nods for the distance fiends. The accolade, voted on by their peers, follows a particularly historic season for the women's squad which won its first-ever RMAC title and recorded its highest national finish ever - #2. The men were successful as well, returning to the podium once again at #3 in the nation, marking their 10th straight finish of third or better. The men and women totaled nine all-American finishes at the national meet. Additionally, the men and women swept the individual titles at the RMAC Championships.

Team of the Year

Awarded to the most outstanding team of the year

Women's Cross Country

For the first time ever, the Colorado School of Mines women's cross country team is the Team of the Year at the Blaster Awards. As stated above, the Oredigger women won their first-ever RMAC title and finished runner-up in the nation for their highest national finish ever. Mines' women had five all-American finishers led by Grace Strongman who raced to individual silver - the best finish by any Oredigger woman ever. She was also the RMAC's individual champion. All five of the women's RMAC scorers finished in the top-10 of the conference championships. This also marks the first time a women's squad has won Team of the Year at the Blaster Awards.