By: Sam Boender
GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines Women's Basketball Head Coach
Brittany Simpson and her staff will welcome eight new Orediggers to the squad for the 2026-27 season.
Tenley Bozeman, Samantha Darnell, Hailey Durland, Izzy Johnston, Janay Kravig, Ellis McCool, Taylor Speir, and Lauren Thompson make up Mines' signing class. Bozeman, Durland, Johnston, McCool, Speir, and Thompson will all be true freshmen. Darnell and Kravig, both originally from Colorado, return to their home state after starting their college careers at South Dakota Mines. Five of the eight fresh faces boast Colorado roots with the other three hailing from Oregon, Michigan, and Alabama.
Below is a snapshot of the incoming class:
Tenley Bozeman – 6-2 – Forward/Center – Sherwood, Ore. – Sherwood HS
Samantha Darnell – 5-9 – Guard – Windsor, Colo. – South Dakota Mines
Hailey Durland – 5-8 – Guard – Grand Rapids, Mich. – Catholic Central HS
Izzy Johnston – 5-11 – Forward – Littleton, Colo. – Arapahoe HS
Janay Kravig – 6-0 – Guard – Greeley, Colo. – South Dakota Mines
Ellis McCool – 6-2 – Forward/Center – Homewood, Ala. – Homewood HS
Taylor Speir – 5-9 – Forward – Littleton, Colo. – Columbine HS
Lauren Thompson – 5-8 – Guard – Parker, Colo. – Chaparral HS
Tenley Bozeman – 6-2 – Forward/Center
Sherwood, Ore. – Sherwood HS – Oregon Navy Elite
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-sport athlete at Sherwood High School in Oregon, competing in basketball and tennis … Earned three varsity letters on the hardwood and two in tennis … Averaged 13.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.9 steals, and 1.3 assists per game … As a junior, named Second-Team All-League and was recognized as the Best Offensive Player on the team … Also broke the school record for blocks in a season with 58 and the school's single-game record for blocks in a game twice with six … Played club basketball for Oregon Elite Navy … Off the court, was a member of the National Honor Society, earned the AP Scholar Award, and was named Student of the Week … Added the Academic Excellence Award for a grade-point average of 4.0 or higher each year … Plans to major in quantitative biosciences and engineering at Mines.
Samantha Darnell – 5-9 – Guard
Windsor, Colo. – South Dakota Mines – Windsor HS
SOUTH DAKOTA MINES (2023-26): Redshirted her true-freshman season due to injury … In 2024-25, appeared in 27 games with 11 starts as a redshirt freshman … Finished her first active season with 82 points, 96 rebounds, 64 assists, 19 steals, and four blocks while averaging 25.1 minutes per game … Best game of the season featured 12 points against Colorado School of Mines … The 2025-26 campaign saw her play in 24 more games with five starts while averaging 16.4 minutes each outing … Totaled 23 points, 61 rebounds, 35 assists, 19 steals, and two blocks … Best game of her redshirt-sophomore year was against the Orediggers and included seven rebounds, five assists, one block, one steal, and two points … Twice appeared on the RMAC Academic Honor Roll in both 2024-25 and 2025-26, and earned Student-Athlete honors from SDM all six semesters.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played basketball and soccer at Windsor High School in Colorado … Collected three varsity letters in both sports … Game averages were 9.1 points, 5.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 4.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks … Named Coloradoan Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 … Earned CHSAA First-Team All-State and First-Team All-Conference in 2023 as well … Helped her team to three state runner-up finishes … Played club ball for Soar.
Hailey Durland – 5-8 – Guard
Grand Rapids, Mich. – Catholic Central HS – Michigan Mystics
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-sport athlete at Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School in Michigan, playing basketball and soccer … Claimed four varsity letters in basketball and three in soccer On the hardwood, averaged 16.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 4.0 steals per game while draining 43 three-pointers … Three-time First-Team All-Conference player … Named Michigan Honorable Mention All-State by the Detroit Free Press … Won the Outstanding Senior Athlete Award from BCAM … Voted team MVP as a senior … Twice named to the MLive Grand Rapids Area Dream Team … Played club for the Michigan Mystics and averaged 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game … In the classroom, earned Michigan Academic All-State distinction … Was a National Merit Commended Scholar and AP Scholar with Distinction … Member of the National Honor Society, graduating summa cum laude … Also earned the College Board National School Recognition award … Plans to major in quantitative biosciences and engineering at Mines.
Izzy Johnston – 5-11 – Forward
Littleton, Colo. – Arapahoe HS – Hardwood Elite 3 SSB
HIGH SCHOOL: Competed for the basketball, volleyball, and track & field teams at Arapahoe High School in Colorado … Earned four varsity letters in basketball, three in volleyball, and one in track … Was both a guard and forward on the hardwood while playing outside on the volleyball court with multiple events in track … Averaged 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 2.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game … Named Second-Team All-State in Colorado … Played club for Hardwood Elite 3 SSB … In the classroom, was CHSAA First-Team All-Academic and an Arapahoe High Scholar Athlete … Also won academic letters in 2023, 2024, and 2025 … Member of the National Honor Society … Plans to major in quantitative biosciences and engineering at Mines.
Janay Kravig – 6-0 – Guard
Greeley, Colo. – South Dakota Mines – University HS
SOUTH DAKOTA MINES (2025-26): Started her college career at Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe South Dakota Mines … Played in three games last season, retaining her redshirt under NCAA rules … Totaled three points, and one assist in 10 minutes of action overall … College debut was at Sioux Falls on Nov. 21 where she went 1-for-1 from three-point range and handed out an assist … Also came off the bench against Northern State and Western Colorado.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played three sports and collected seven varsity letters at University High School in Colorado … On the hardwood, averaged 11 points and three assists per game … Named First-Team All-State in 2025 … Was Second-Team All-State in 2024 … Two-time First-Team All-Conference player as a junior and senior … Named Second-Team All-Conference as a sophomore in 2023 … Played club for BC Denver … In the classroom, claimed Academic All-State distinction twice.
Ellis McCool – 6-2 – Forward/Center
Homewood, Ala. – Homewood HS – Southeast All Stars
HIGH SCHOOL: Standout volleyball and basketball player at Homewood High School in Alabama, collecting five varsity letters in both sports … Played all three positions on the hardwood and was a middle on the volleyball court … As a freshman, averaged 6.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game … Sophomore season led to 7.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while being named All-Metro and to the Over the Mountain Team … Broke out as a junior team captain with 16 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game … Named Area MVP, Second-Team All-Region, Second-Team All-State, and First-Team All-South Metro in 2025 after guiding HHS to the 6A Sweet 16 … Played club for the Southeast All Stars … Academically, was an Honor Graduate and AP Scholar with Distinction … Earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish … Was a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta … Plans to major in environmental engineering at Mines.
Taylor Speir – 5-9 – Forward
Littleton, Colo. – Columbine HS
HIGH SCHOOL: Competed in basketball, volleyball, track & field, and soccer at Columbine High School in Colorado … Totaled four varsity letters in basketball, three in volleyball, two in soccer, and three in track & field … During her junior season in basketball, averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor … Named Second-Team All-Conference as a sophomore and First-Team All-Conference as a junior in basketball … In volleyball, was Honorable Mention All-Conference as a junior and Second-Team All-Conference as a senior … On the track, totaled six all-conference finishes during her sophomore and junior seasons … Also broke the school records in the 4x100-meter relay, long jump, 800-meter relay, and 800-meter sprint medley relay … Finished eighth in the state in the 800-meter sprint medley relay in 2024 and was 10
th in the state in the long jump in 2025 … Selected as Sophomore and Junior Female Athlete of the Year … Consistently appeared on the Jeffco Academic Athletics Honor Roll … Was named Academic All-State three times … Elected to student government as a freshman, sophomore, and junior … Appeared on Columbine's Academic Honor Roll all four years … Member of the National Honor Society … Plans to major in business engineering & management science at Mines.
Lauren Thompson– 5-8 – Guard
Parker, Colo. – Chaparral HS – Hardwood Elite
HIGH SCHOOL: Played basketball at Chaparral High School in Colorado … Earned four varsity letters … Game averages through her junior season came in at 10 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 3.4 steals per game … Two-time First-Team All-League player … Twice named Honorable Mention All-State … Played club for Hardwood Elite … Appeared on the honor roll all four years … Earned four academic letters as well … Plans to major in business engineering & management science at Mines.
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