What do 12 Montana Tech students, 13 days, and over 20,000 miles have in common? The 37th International Mining Games! In March, 12 Montana Tech students and two advisors traveled to Kalgoorlie, Western Australia to compete in the Intercollegiate Mining Competition held every year. Montana Tech took two teams, a men’s and a co-ed, with each team having 6 members.
The teams competed in seven different events:
While the competition was the main reason for traveling to Australia, there was a little play and educational opportunities involved with the teams’ work. While in Perth, the team spent time on the beach, shopping, and even going to an Australian Rules football game! A mine tour of the Boddington Gold Mine was arranged thanks to the support of Newmont Mining. In Kalgoorlie, a mine visit to the Super Pit and several museums were squeezed into the schedule. The competitors did have an opportunity to spend time hanging out with other teams from the United States, Australia, England, and even Brazil.
Overall, the entire trip was a great experience, and the whole team is looking forward to next year’s competition to be held in Butte on the Montana Tech Competition Grounds March 30 through April 3 2016. For keeping up to date, or if you want to see pictures from the trip, check out the Montana Tech Mining Team on Facebook.