The national title-winning Colorado School of Mines men’s cross-country runners aren’t just at the top of the podium.

They’re at the top of the classroom, too.

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference recently announced the 2024-25 Brechler Award winners, recognizing the top-performing academic teams across the conference’s 22 sponsored sports.

The Mines men’s cross country and men’s indoor track & field teams were among the winners.

Regis and Colorado Mesa led the member universities, with four recipient teams each. Chadron State followed with three, and Mines tied Black Hills State and Westminster with two each.

The Mines men’s cross country team’s win is the program’s first since the award was established in 2012-13, the Orediggers confirmed in a recent press release.

The two Mines teams and the other the Brechler Award-winning teams were scheduled to be recognized at the July 10 RMAC awards banquet in Colorado Springs.

This year’s Brechler Awards, named after former RMAC Commissioner Paul W. Brechler, was based on the highest team GPA from the 2024-25 academic year, the RMAC described in its press release.

The team GPA includes all student-athletes who were on the institution’s NCAA eligibility list, and is calculated by dividing the total quality points for each semester by the total number of credits.

The Mines men’s cross country team produced a 3.595 GPA, Mines Athletics confirmed, while the men’s indoor track & field team had a 3.563 GPA — winning its second-straight Brechler Award and fifth overall.

Several Orediggers compete on both teams, as well as on the outdoor track & field team.

In fall 2024, the Mines men’s cross country team went undefeated on the race course. The Orediggers swept the RMAC and NCAA Regional titles and eventually won their fourth NCAA Division II championship in 10 years.

Then, for the indoor track & field season, the Orediggers had their best-ever finish at the NCAA Division II championships with six individual podium finishes and a third-place team trophy.

Right now, the Mines runners are on summer break, but official practices resume next month. Then, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams kick off their 2025 competition schedule Sept. 20 at Denver’s Washington Park.

For more information, including Colorado School of Mines’ 2025-26 athletic calendar, visit MinesAthletics.com.

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As a pole vaulter, recent Colorado School of Mines graduate Hunter Potrykus was always looking to raise the bar.

Now, he’s reached a new high point — winning the 2024-25 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The conference announced Potrykus’ win in a June 24 press release, explaining how a student-athlete must maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA while participating in an RMAC-sponsored sport to be eligible.

In May 2024, Potrykus graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Mines with a 3.929 GPA. Then, this May, he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a thermal fluid systems track, compiling a 4.0 GPA in the process.

According to the RMAC press release, Potrykus will be honored at the conference’s Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet July 10 in Colorado Springs.

Both the RMAC and Mines Athletics press releases said Potrykus is the third male Oredigger to receive this honor, joining distance runner Duncan Fuehne from 2023 and men’s basketball player Gokul Natesan from 2017.

According to Mines Athletics, Potrykus joined the Mines track & field program in fall 2020 and had a decorated career across both the indoor and outdoor seasons.

During his five years with the Orediggers, the Berthoud, Colorado native set multiple records and earned numerous accolades, including the 2025 RMAC Men’s Indoor Academic Athlete of the Year. He was also a five-time RMAC pole vault champion — twice for outdoors and three times for indoors.

During his final indoor season this winter, Potrykus took fourth at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. It was his best finish at nationals and helped the Mines men’s team take home the bronze medal. It was also the team’s best-ever finish at a national meet.

For more information about Potrykus’ award or career, or to follow the Mines track & field program, visit MinesAthletics.com.

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When faced with her final two races as a college athlete, Colorado School of Mines senior Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge decided to go out in true Oredigger style — securing a piece of precious metal.

On May 22, Ramsey-Rutledge won the silver medal in the women’s 10K race at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, following up on her individual national championship in the women’s 5K at March’s indoor nationals.

Overall, Ramsey-Rutledge and her fellow Orediggers earned four medals and eight podium spots over the May 22-24 meet.

Steeplechase runners Max Bonenberger and Emily LaMena secured back-to-back bronze medals in the men’s and women’s events, respectively, and Logan Bocovich also earned bronze in the men’s 10K race.

Additionally, several other Orediggers earned national honors for their Top 25 finishes at the meet.

Overall, with 13 men and nine women competing in 25 events, the Mines teams placed 13th and 14, respectively, at the national meet in Pueblo.

Ramsey-Rutledge and other Orediggers helped the Mines teams get off to a strong start May 22, as Ramsey-Rutledge secured her silver in the women’s 10K.

Meanwhile, Bocovich and teammates Jeremiah Vaille, Paul Knight, Braden Struhs and Loic Scomparin all competed in the men’s 10K.

Along with Bocovich’s third-place finish, Vaille was eighth; Knight, ninth; Struhs, 12th; and Scomparin, 18th.

Meanwhile, in the field events, Mines’ graduate transfer Holden Murphy took fifth in the men’s hammer throw. He threw 61.54 meters on his first attempt and then 62.20 meters on his second — enough to close out his college career on the national podium.

On the second day of competition, steeplechasers Bonenberger and LaMena got a chance to shine. LaMena, a freshman, ran the event in 10:23.94, which is only two seconds off her own program record at sea level.

Then, for the men’s event, Alex Shaw secured 10th place behind Bonenberger.

Likewise, Mines’ Everett Delate ran 13.92 in the 110-meter hurdles’ preliminaries. While he was bumped from the finals, his time was still fast enough to secure 10th place and second-team all-America status.

Fellow Oredigger Kitt Rupar also took 17th in the women’s discus, and the following day, finished 16th in women’s shot put.

Along with Rupar’s performance in the shot put, the final day of competition was a notable one for several Orediggers.

Ramsey-Rutledge took fifth in the women’s 5K race to pair a podium finish with her silver medal in the 10K race.

Then, Mines’ Tim Thompson also closed out his season on the national podium after taking seventh place in the men’s 800-meter race. He technically crossed the line in eighth place at 1:50.98, however a disqualification ahead of him bumped him up to seventh.

Additionally, Scomparin and teammate Dawson Gunn finished 10th and 22nd, respectively, in the men’s 5K race. Somparin was in 20th place about midway through the race, but was able to pass several runners during the race’s second half and earn second-team all-American honors.

While Ramsey-Rutledge and several other Orediggers have graduated or exhausted their eligibility, and thus are onto other pursuits, dozens of Mines distance runners will return in August to kick off the 2025 cross country season. Other athletes will plan to kick off their indoor track & field season in the late fall.

The 2025-26 cross country and track & field schedules hadn’t been posted as of May 28, but visit MinesAthletics.com to stay up-to-date on the teams over the summer.

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Nearly two dozen Orediggers are hoping to make this Memorial Day weekend one to remember, as the Colorado School of Mines outdoor track & field teams compete at the NCAA Division II National Championships.

CSU Pueblo is hosting the May 22-24 meet at the ThunderBowl. This will be CSU Pueblo’s second time hosting in three years.

The Orediggers, who train at approximately 5,800 feet above sea level, will have an advantage over most athletes, considering the ThunderBowl is about 4,700 feet above sea level. During the 2023 national meet in Pueblo, the Mines women’s and men’s teams took 11th and 12th place, respectively.

This year, 13 men and nine women Orediggers qualified for 25 total events, Mines Athletics announced May 13.

Senior Loic Scomparin will help lead the men’s distance group in Pueblo, as he hopes to build on his indoor-season successes in the men’s 5K and 10K races. Scomparin took home silver medals in both the men’s 3K and 5K races from the indoor season.

All-American cross-country runners Logan Bocovich, Paul Knight and Jeremiah Vaille will join Scomparin in the 10K race, as will first-time qualifier Braden Struhs. Meanwhile, fellow cross-country runner Dawson Gunn will join Scomparin in the 5K race.

The Mines men’s team is sending six more track athletes to Pueblo, but Holden Murphy is serving as the lone representative for the Mines men’s field group. He will be competing in the hammer throw.

Meanwhile, the Mines women’s team is sending three throws athletes — the most ever — to nationals.

Senior Kitt Rupar, who’s competing in both shot put and discus, will lead the group. She had podium finishes in both events at last year’s national meet.

Joining her are Jennifer Jarnagin and Abbi Gillespie, both of whom will compete in the hammer throw.

Pole vaulter Dale Thompson rounds out the Mines women’s field group.

Among the women’s track athletes, indoor 5K national champion Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge looks to medal in both the women’s 5K and 10K races.

For more information, including the full meet schedule, visit MinesAthletics.com.

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When competing at 5,739 feet above sea level, Orediggers and their fellow RMAC athletes have found a way to let the altitude bring out their best rather than letting it slow them down.

That talent was on display April 27, as outdoor track & field athletes broke several facility and meet records during the final day of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships.

Colorado School of Mines hosted the April 25-27 meet at its newly renovated Stermole Track & Field Complex, where more than a dozen Orediggers earned podium spots and medals over the weekend.

University of Colorado-Colorado Springs took the top spot in both the men’s and women’s team scores, but Mines claimed No. 2 in both — with the Mines men’s team just three points behind UCCS.

Among the record-breaking athletes was the New Mexico Highlands women’s 4×100 relay team members. Their first-place finish in 44.21 seconds not only broke facility and meet records but their time is now the fastest recorded time in NCAA Division II this season.

Relay team anchor Patreece Clarke also set a new RMAC record in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.

Other athletes and teams toppled RMAC records in the men’s 4×100 relay, the men’s hammer throw, the women’s 4×400 relay and the women’s 200-meter race.

Mines senior Everett Delate also set an RMAC record of his own in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, taking first place in 13.87 seconds. Delate has now won six-straight RMAC sprint hurdles titles between indoor and outdoor events.

Along with Delate, other Orediggers ensured some of the conference gold medals would stay in Golden. This includes, but isn’t limited to:

• Allison Comer in the women’s 400-meter hurdle;
• Jennifer Jarnagin in the women’s hammer throw;
• Jenna Ramsey-Rutledge in the women’s 5K;
• Kitt Rupar in the women’s discus;
• Dale Thompson in the women’s pole vault;
• Jeremiah Vaille in both the men’s 10K and men’s 5K; and 
• Avery Wright in the women’s heptathlon.

The Orediggers also secured several silver and bronze medals at the RMAC meet, along with their second-place finishes in the team standings.

The Mines teams were scheduled to split their teams at “last chance meets” on May 3 and May 9. Afterward, any qualifying Orediggers will prepare for the May 22-24 NCAA Division II championships in Pueblo.

For more information, including a full list of the RMAC championships results, visit MinesAthletics.com.

Click through additional photos from the final day of RMAC action:

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It’s that time of the year again: spring snowstorms, graduation party planning, and for high school athletes, Signing Day.

The best student athletes lead their schools in academics and athletics, and for Conifer High School, a star-studded signing day saw 12 Lobos commit their skills to the next level on April 24.

Families, coaches, teammates and friends cheered, took countless pictures and held back tears as the seniors spoke on their high school experiences and impending futures.

Meet the Conifer athletes preparing for college sports below. All stats from their high school careers can be found at MaxPreps.com.

Eleanor Sikora, Regis University

Sikora is staying close by to play softball at Regis University in Denver.

“I can’t say how grateful I am that I’ll be continuing my academic and athletic career at Regis,” she said to the crowd in the Lobos’ gym. “I want to thank my parents, especially my mom, for always being there for me. My mom has always supported me through every practice, game and long road trip. To (all my coaches), thank you for believing in me and helping me grow not just as a player, but as a person. I wouldn’t be standing here without you.”

Josalyn Lievers, University of Findlay

Lievers is midwest-bound, heading to Findlay, Ohio, to play lacrosse at the University of Findlay.

“I want to thank my family, coaches and teammates who have supported me every step of the way,” Lievers said. “Playing college lacrosse has been a dream of mine for a long time, and today it is finally becoming real. The practices, the tough losses and all the big wins all brought me here.”

Landon Hancock, Colorado State University

Becoming a Ram is a dream for Hancock, the soccer player-turned-lacrosse star for Conifer.

“I’m very excited to continue my athletic career at Colorado State University in Fort Collins,” Hancock said to the crowd. “First, I want to thank my parents for supporting my decision to swap over from soccer to lacrosse. I have not regretted it once in my entire life. I want to thank my coaches for always giving me that reassurance that I’m good enough, I’m skilled enough, that I’m right where I belong.”

Payden Devaney, Lees-McRae College

Another lacrosse standout is headed to Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

“I want to thank my coaches for coaching me throughout the years, constantly pushing me to be a better player, a better goalie, a better person,” Devaney said. “I want thank my parents and my family for all the rides you’ve given me, all the money you’ve put into the sport. I just want to thank everybody who has been a part of my academic or athletic career.”

Ben Metzger, Western Colorado University

After dominating on the mat for Conifer for four years, Metzger, a man of few words, is traveling to Western Colorado University in Gunnison.

“I want to thank my mom for supporting me through thick and thin,” he said. “I want to thank all my coaches who have pushed me throughout these four years. I don’t have much to say.”

Kate Horneck, Western Colorado University

Another Gunnison-bound Lobo is Horneck, a record-breaking cross country and track and field athlete for Conifer.

“I’d like to thank my teammates for keeping me going and reminding me every day why I love this sport,” she said to the crowd. “I know the team is in good hands with you all and I’m so excited to see what you guys can accomplish on your own and as a team. I would like to thank all the coaches and mentors I’ve had throughout my athletic journey, both in the physical summer training, but more importantly, by believing in me when I didn’t always believe in myself.”

Rhoan Bruneau, Willamette University

Bruneau is heading to the Pacific Northwest to play soccer.

“I had a really big, long recruiting process,” Bruneau said. “But I really, really liked Oregon and Willamette was one of three schools in Oregon I had offers from, and it was by far my favorite. I loved the coach, I loved the future plan for the team, I also have family close by. And it’s just a beautiful area. The atmosphere is amazing and I feel like it’ll be really good for me to grow there.”

Cassidy Wilson, Colorado State University-Pueblo

Wilson is set to be a Thunderwolf on the lacrosse field.

“I want to say a huge thank you to my family for supporting me throughout my entire lacrosse career,” she said. “I want to thank my mom and dad for always driving me to practices and games, and especially a big shout out to my mom. She was my personal recruiter for college, and I couldn’t have done it without her. I want to thank my teammates. I couldn’t have asked for better people to play with the past four years. This team has helped me become a better person and better player.”

Jesse Nichols, Washburn University

Nichols is headed to Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, to continue her softball career.

“To all my coaches, thank you,” she said. “Thank you for believing in me, pushing me, and helping me become not just a better athlete but a better person … To my dad, thank you for catching me all these years. You’ve never let me take the easy way out. You’re one of my biggest supporters and most honest coaches and I’ll never forget everything you’ve done for me. To my mom, thank you for being my constant. You’ve been through every game, every tournament … you’re the one behind the scenes, packing the bags and calming me down and picking me back up when I need it most.”

Jacob Johnson, Lawrence University

Johnson will play two sports at the next level — track and soccer — at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

“The first thing that was really important when I went to go visit Lawrence was that everybody was so welcoming,” Johnson said. “The coach of the soccer team… the administration has bent over backwards for me, and that says a lot about the school. I got to see their academics and talk to their professors firsthand … as a college athlete, the college part comes first, and that was really important to me. And then just the opportunity to play soccer at the next level is also important to me. I’m not ready to give up that part of my life yet.”

Benson White, Colorado Mesa University

White is making his way to Mesa, where he’ll run track and field.

“It’s been quite the journey,” he said. “Most of all, I need to thank my parents. My mom has pushed me my entire life. Whether you have a bad game or not, my mom is always there to support me and keep me motivated. My dad brings that motivation in a completely opposite way. Having that balance definitely helped me become the athlete and person that I am.”

Gunnar Forsythe, Rome City Institute

Last but not least, Forsythe is heading across the pond to Europe. Rome, Italy, awaits, where he’ll run track and field at Rome City Institute.

“I want to thank my teammates. Thank you, guys, for just making track such an important sport to me and just making it a place I want to show up to every day,” he said. “Thank you to my parents for always supporting me through all my decisions. Something as drastic as going international … thank you, guys.”

Congrats to all the Lobos taking their game and studying to the next level.

The post A dozen Conifer High School athletes sign to play college sports appeared first on Colorado Community Media.

Like watching a construction project, the 2025 Colorado School of Mines football team still has a long way to go before it’s ready for primetime.

But the Orediggers have laid the foundation for their fall season over the last two months, and based on what they’ve seen so far, they’re confident they’ll be a major competitor come August.

“Expect a gritty team,” senior wide receiver Flynn Schiele said. “We’re going to be scoring a lot of points, playing great defense, flying around, making plays (and) get the crowd into it the best we can. It should be a great culture here.”

Among their goals, Schiele and senior free safety Joel Diaz said the Orediggers want to return to the NCAA Division II playoffs and win the program’s first national championship.

“The mission hasn’t changed,” Diaz said. “Mines football is here to compete.”

The Orediggers showcased their competitive spirit and the results of their spring training for family, friends and fans during the annual spring game April 19.

Thanks to a unique scoring system that awards points for major plays or stops, the offense defeated the defense 42-21.

The offense received points for touchdowns, plays that went 20-plus yards, fourth-down conversions and more. Meanwhile, the defense received points for three-and-out sequences, fourth-down stops, turnovers, etc.

Both the offense and defense started with their first- and second-string players in the first half, but third- and fourth-string players had more playing time in the second half.

The defense led early, but the offense gained momentum throughout the game and racked up more points to take the lead. The defense had the final points of the game, though, thanks to Duke Butler nabbing an interception.

Coach Bob Stitt said he was pleased there were “good things on both sides” of the ball, saying a lopsided spring game would be a bad sign.

He highlighted Schiele’s big receptions, including two touchdowns, as well as the offensive line and quarterbacks’ efforts. Stitt explained how, for much of the game, he let the quarterbacks call the plays, and he felt it worked well.

Schiele likewise felt that the quarterbacks and receivers had good chemistry, saying they’ll keep building on that during the offseason.

For the defense, Diaz highlighted defensive backs Kai Brown and Niko Auerbach, describing them as talented freshmen who hit hard and work harder but just need a little more experience. He recommended Mines fans keep an eye on them, saying they’ll be making big plays in the coming years.

One thing Stitt said players on both sides of the ball must work on is penalties, as the officials called dozens throughout the April 19 spring game. Stitt said he appreciated having officials there to hold the players accountable, adding that Mines will be working on that during the offseason and during preseason camp in August.

He thanked the 300-plus fans who braved the recent snowfall and chilly conditions to watch the spring game, saying, “I’m really excited for next season.”

‘We’re not taking any steps backward’

Preseason camp is roughly 100 days away, and the Orediggers expect that time to fly by.

This offseason, Stitt said the coaching staff will focus on recruiting for the 2026 team. Meanwhile, the players will be taking their spring finals and then working on their physicality over the summer.

“I told the kids after (the spring game) that we want to have a more physical team,” Stitt said. “We want to see a different group of guys physically when we show up in August.”

Diaz and Schiele described how their summers are typically filled with trips to the weight room, team-bonding activities and other items that build team culture.

Schiele said that usually involves smaller groups working on their chemistry, like the receivers and quarterbacks, but the entire team also gets together frequently.

“We compete against the defense in practice, but the instant the whistle is blown, we’re hanging out (together),” Schiele said.

Although he believed the Orediggers struggled with their team culture in 2024, Schiele said it improved over the spring. He expected it to improve even more over the summer and once practices resume in August.

Diaz emphasized how the Orediggers must “stay focused on the mission” and “keep working on our craft” over the summer. Because August isn’t that far away and the team has to hit the ground running at preseason camp, he said, “We’re not taking any steps backward.”

Both Diaz and Schiele plan to graduate in December and remarked how the last four seasons have flown by. They couldn’t believe 2025 will be their final season at Mines, but both were looking forward to stepping up this fall and eventually passing the torch to the next set of Orediggers.

Diaz remarked how his class is in a unique situation, as he and his fellow seniors were underclassmen in 2022 and 2023 when Mines made back-to-back national championship appearances.

“It was a privilege … to see the caliber of team and player that’s required to get there,” Diaz said. “And then, last year, we fell a little short of some of our goals. All the pieces were still there. It’s really about putting them back together and realizing what it takes for us as a team to get to those places again.”

Diaz said he saw echoes of the 2022 and 2023 seasons this spring, saying the competition and the energy was back to the level it was when the Orediggers made those deep postseason runs.

“I’m happy to see what we did here in the spring, because I think that’s going to translate well for the fall,” he continued. “So, I’m excited to see (my) last fall. If it’s going to be the last, might as well make it the best.”

Click through additional photos from the April 19 spring game:

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Just days before Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders land at their new NFL homes in the draft, the Buffaloes took one more opportunity to honor the two program-changing players in a big way.

On April 15, a social media post announced that Hunter’s and Sanders’ jersey numbers (No. 12 and No. 2, respectively) would be retired, never to be worn again by Colorado football players. The two were honored during the Buffs’ Spring Game on April 19 at Folsom Field in Boulder.

While both Hunter and Sanders played dominant roles in rejuvenizing the Colorado football program and are set to be first-round NFL draft picks, fans are meeting the news with mixed reactions. Some are questioning whether both are worthy of the jersey retirement honor.

Hunter is just the second Buffalo to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Colorado legend Rashaan Salaam, who took home the award in 1994. Hunter famously has said he will not play football if he can’t play on both sides of the ball, like he did excellently at Colorado.

Before Hunter and Sanders, Salaam’s No. 9 jersey was one of only four previous Buffs to ever be retired. The others are Byron White (No. 24), Joe Romig (No. 67) and Bobby Anderson (No. 11).

In two seasons for Colorado, Hunter caught 153 passes for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also snagged seven interceptions on defense and recorded 66 total tackles.

Sanders is another (success) story.

In 24 starts for the Buffaloes, Sanders threw for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with a 71.8% completion percentage.

He is just the second quarterback in history to throw for 14,000+ yards while completing over 70% of his passes in his college career (Jackson State included). Sanders is also the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, a 2024 First-Team All-American and the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Pretty impressive stats when you put it like that. But many fans are dubious that both players deserved to have their numbers in the rafters.

Here is what fans had to say about the news.

“I would say that it’s far too soon for either of them, but at the end of the day, I have no real problem with retiring Travis Hunter’s number. As one of only two Heisman Trophy winners in school history, that’s a pretty easy case to make … Shedeur is a far more complicated case. Along with Hunter and [Head Coach Deion Sanders], you can argue that Shedeur helped bring CU football back from the dead. But if we compare records and accolades, Darian Hagan and Kordell Stewart both accomplished far more in Boulder than Shedeur, and those are just the quarterbacks at the top of mind. There are plenty of greats from the heyday of Bill McCartney that would deserve this honor first. I could absolutely see Shedeur’s number honored in the Ring of Honor on the press box, but that’s different than retiring it forever. And regardless of how deserving they may or may not be, to retire these numbers before either one of them even leaves campus is a slap in the face to the greats that came before.”

— Shane Church, CU marching band alum  

“Are there more deserving players? Yes, there are, but are those past players making CU relevant now? Hell no! I’m in the camp that whatever it takes to make Deion happy and want to stay in Colorado is what’s important for CU football and the university now.”

— Dan Villanueva, Denver

“I believe that there should be a waiting period at the conclusion of their college career before retiring a number. While they may have been great at CU, this greatness may not continue. They may struggle at the next level or develop off-field issues. I agree with Travis’ retirement, being that he is the Heisman winner and the multiple other awards he was given. However, even his consideration should’ve had a waiting period.”

— Jen Bryan, Broomfield

“I 100% believe only Travis should have had his jersey retired. Heisman award winner, two-way player, easy top-three pick in the draft. Shedeur, who also played a critical role in the Buffs rebuilding their team, was a great QB and leader, but that doesn’t mean you retire the number. Best stat was his completion percentage, when I think almost 30% of that was screen passes. Why would we retire Shedeur’s when we haven’t retired Kordell Stewart?”

— Zachary Lundgren, Denver

“I think it should’ve only been Travis. As a Heisman-winner, two-way player and just a great guy in-person and on the field, I think it’s a well-deserved honor. I think it’s important to note that he isn’t the first player to play two positions, but according to Buffs history, it seems like the greatest and most/deserving players did (Byron White and Bobby Anderson – though both were offensive players, if I remember correctly). I think Travis is the first to get such high honors for offense and defense … Shedeur was a major component when it came to being a leader, and also contributed to Travis’ success, but I feel like that’s his job as a QB. He did the job well, and he deserved all the recognition for doing just that, but he wasn’t the only one. To warrant a number retirement, I think you need to go above and beyond and really stand out.”

— Brooke Moreilhon, Westminster

“Only 4 jerseys have been retired in the history of CU football. The last one was also a Heisman winner, so it would be fitting that Hunter’s number also be retired. Sanders has the most passing yards ever and a lot of other records, but he didn’t lead the team to anything close to a national championship. If he had, then he might be justified to have his jersey retired.  As it stands though, he shouldn’t.

— Brent Schneider, Denver

“I agree that Hunter’s number should be retired, but as Shedeur was a talented quarterback, he never took the team to a major bowl. I’d rather see quarterback Darian Hagan or running back Eric Bienemy, who took the Buffs to the national championship in 1990. Or quarterback Kordell Stewart; have their numbers retired before Shedeur Sanders. Plus, those young men never played for big money like the players do now. It was a different era.”

— Carol McKinley, Littleton

“I think that Travis Hunter won the Heisman, so it makes sense to retire his number and have it retired before other CU all-time greats. As for Shedeur, his overall record and impact for sustained team wins does not indicate to me a number retirement, especially this soon. CU just wants the exposure.”

— Brandon Stuever, Lakewood

Based on what we saw on the field from Travis and Shadeur, I think retiring of their numbers is well deserved. Travis is a generational talent, who played at the highest level on both sides of the ball, won countless individual awards, and looks to be a top-5 pick in this years’ draft.  Shadeur broke numerous CU passing records all while being the foundational CU quarterback during our new rise to national relevance. I’ve heard opinions circulating that if Shadeur has No. 2 retired then Kordell Stewart is deserving of having No. 10 retired. While that case could be made, I don’t think it detracts from anything Shadeur has been able to do in the past couple seasons. The performances of both Travis and Shadeur have been dynamic and impactful and set the foundation for future success of the program. That cannot be understated. Furthermore, both players have made Colorado football fun to watch again. Once again, the sky is the limit for Colorado Buffs football.

— Doug Simon, CU Class of 2009

“As a Heisman Trophy winner, I agree with the decision to retire Travis Hunter’s jersey number. That is the ultimate achievement for a college football player. I do not agree with the same treatment for Shedeur Sanders. He was a standout player but did not have the tenure at CU nor the career accomplishments which typically warrant that level of recognition.”

— Connie Meine, Glenwood Springs

“Travis Hunter’s a dog — a two-way player, never came off the field and balled out every snap. He earned that jersey retirement. But Shedeur? He’s good, real good, but he ain’t done enough yet. You can’t retire a number off of hype. Kordell, Salaam, Westbrook — those guys built CU. Let’s not skip history for headlines.”

— Jack Abbey, Arvada

“Hunter’s, I agree with for sure, hard not to retire a Heisman winner’s number. I’m OK with Shedeur’s being retired as well.”

— Bill Martin, Denver

“I understand retiring Hunter’s number because they also retired Rashaan Salaam’s 19 after winning the Heisman, but I don’t agree with retiring Sanders’ number.”

— Jeff Lee, Englewood

“The retirement of Sanders’ and Hunter’s jersey numbers undermines the integrity of the CU football program and disrespects the legacies of past greats, driven more by modern-day player ego and entitlement than true accomplishment.”

— Mike Trujillo, Centennial

What are your thoughts? Email me at jrenfrow@coloradocommunitymedia.com.

The post Jersey retirement a bit much? CU Buffs fans on Hunter, Sanders appeared first on Colorado Community Media.

The Colorado School of Mines baseball and softball teams’ graduating seniors are a bit like Golden’s weather in the spring: Never underestimate them, because whatever they do, they will make a statement doing it.

With only a few games left in the 2025 regular season, each team was celebrating five departing seniors during their final home series.

On April 17, the Mines baseball team split its Senior Day doubleheader with UCCS, winning the first game 8-0 but losing the second 6-4.

After the second game, the team recognized its five departing seniors: catcher Ryan Vermeer, right-hand pitcher Matthew Dobberthien, shortstop Canon Humphreys, and outfielders Mason Andrews and Wayne Moeck.

The five Orediggers had a strong Senior Day showing.

Humphreys was one of three Mines players who hit .500 for the day, finishing the doubleheader with three runs and four RBIs, thanks to a double and a homer. His home run was his third of the season and sixth at Mines.

Dobberthien and Andrews also had strong pitching and hitting stats, respectively.

After April 17, Mines was 12-31 overall and 7-19 in conference play. Due to snowy conditions April 18, the second doubleheader against UCCS was pushed to April 19.

The baseball team was scheduled to close out its 2025 regular season April 25-27 at Colorado Christian.

Meanwhile, the Mines softball team was scheduled to play at CSU Pueblo April 18-19. Going into the weekend, the Orediggers were 17-29 overall and 16-19 in conference play.

After CSU Pueblo, Mines was set to host New Mexico Highlands April 25-26 for the final series of the regular season.

Weather permitting, the team were planning to recognize graduating seniors Allison Westbrook, Lexie Semeyn, Hannah Roberts, Kailey Morales and Cassidy Chvatal after the April 26 doubleheader.

Chvatal recently made headlines after breaking the program’s single-season home run record of 15. Going into the April 18-19 games at CSU Pueblo, she had recorded 19 home runs for the 2025 season, which ranks among the top three in NCAA Division II, according to Mines Athletics.

Chvatal also has a shot at breaking the program’s single-season RBI record, as the record is 64, and she had 58 going into the road games at CSU Pueblo.

She and Semeyn are also the first teammates since 2012 with 10-plus home runs in the same season.

The Orediggers have a small chance of advancing to the RMAC playoffs, Mines Athletics staff said, but it’s been a very tough season overall.

The Orediggers played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation, as five of their first nine opponents were either nationally ranked or were receiving votes.

Once it kicked off conference play, Mines remained competitive, winning four series, including sweeping Adams State April 12-13.

Meanwhile, the team also had to replace three infield starters, navigate a few season-ending injuries, and figure out some position changes.

For more information on the Mines baseball and softball teams’ final games, visit MinesAthletics.com.

The post Mines baseball, softball teams celebrate 10 seniors as they wrap up 2025 seasons appeared first on Colorado Community Media.

Mid-April is always an exciting time in Golden, especially for Colorado School of Mines students, staff, alumni and other supporters.

There’s a rugby game where players wear prom dresses; people line Clear Creek for hours to see whether boats made of cardboard and duct tape will sink or float; and a fireworks show over campus is visible all over the area.

Mines celebrated its annual E-Days festival April 9-13, with this year’s theme being “HowdE-Days.”

The festivities kicked off April 9 with the women’s intramural rugby teams’ annual Prom Dress Rugby game, which featured current players and alumni wearing thrifted formal dresses during the game. This year’s game ended in a 15-15 tie between the Bloody Mary’s and the Bruise Berries.

Organizers said the tradition started around 2008, and has been hosted at different times of the year. However, they said it’s become a staple of E-Days in recent years, and university officials hope to make an even bigger festival kick-off in the future.

Prom Dress Rugby draws players from both the women’s seven- and 15-player intramural rugby teams. On April 9, the Bloody Mary’s and Bruise Berries fielded 10 players at a time, which they said made things a bit chaotic. And the dresses didn’t help either, they added.

“It’s a different experience: It’s a lot messier, but it’s lots of fun,” junior Aliya Lynn said of playing Prom Dress Rugby versus a normal game. “It puts smiles on people’s faces.”

The festivities continued April 10 with a comedian performance, a ball and casino night. April 11 featured the annual ore cart pull, where students pulled an ore cart along Colfax Avenue from Lakewood to downtown Denver.

April 12 was a community favorite with the cardboard boat races, where students test their engineering skills by building boats strictly out of cardboard and duct tape, and then paddle them down Clear Creek. The event draws hundreds of locals every year.

The community was also invited to attend the carnival on campus that afternoon, after students hosted their Mining Games that morning.

The 2025 E-Days wrapped up April 13 with the Pancake Pheast, a car show and fireworks that had been rescheduled from the night before due to dry and windy conditions.

Click through photos from the 2025 E-Days festival:

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