Investing in Oredigger athletes

Mines received an anonymous $6.5 million gift to fund scholarships for student-athletes in Olympic sports and to improve track and field and cross country facilities. It’s one of the largest gifts to support athletics in the university’s history.

“This gift comes from donors who have strong affinity for student-athletes, have great pride in Mines and know first-hand how involvement in athletics can lead to success in the classroom and beyond,” said Mines President Paul C. Johnson. “These donors want to ensure that all our student-athletes have opportunities for scholarships. They have also seen the impact that facilities investments can have on individual and team success. I’m excited by the large number of new scholarships this gift creates, the opportunity to upgrade our existing track and field facilities and the creation of an on-campus loop for our nationally renowned and three-time national champion cross-country teams. We are incredibly grateful for this investment in our students.”

$440,000 a year for scholarships in Olympic sports

Mines, like most NCAA Division II schools, offers athletes partial scholarships. Smaller scholarship budgets often hamper Olympic sports programs’ recruiting and retention efforts, including:

• Men’s and women’s cross country, soccer, swimming and track and field
• Women’s basketball and volleyball
• Men’s wrestling and golf

The gift’s $5 million scholarship fund will provide about $440,000 each year for scholarships across these teams for the next 20 years. That total includes the initial gift plus investment income.

“Mines has one of the highest costs of attendance in DII, with tuition, housing, food and supplies costing about $40,000 for in-state students and $62,000 for out-of-state students,” said David Hansburg, Mines’ athletic director. “We work hard to attract scholarship funds to make Mines an appealing and financially viable option for the unique student-athletes that can be successful in the classroom and in athletics at Mines.”

$1.2 million for track and field updates, first cross country training course

The gift’s remaining $1.2 million will pay for long-needed updates at Mines’ outdoor track and field facility, including replacing the track surface and
other equipment that has reached the end of its lifetime, as well as bringing field event areas up to collegiate standards.

“These facility improvements will reflect the quality of our championship-contending athletes and let Mines host more track meets,” Hansburg said. “That will cut our travel costs and, most importantly, keep students in class.”

Mines will also begin building a cross country training facility in the coming months, featuring 3K and 2K loops with varied, challenging terrain. The 50-member men’s and women’s teams currently train in Jeffco Open Space parks, such as Crown Hill Park’s 2.5K loop. Commutes can take 45 minutes round trip.

Cross Country Coach Chris Siemers said the new facility will give Mines a distinct advantage

“We’ll be one of the few schools in the country with an on-campus training course,” he said. “We’ll be able to jog up the hill instead of getting on a bus, which means we can train five days a week, including recovery days. The students who look at Mines for cross country are also considering Division I schools that can offer bigger scholarships. I believe that when we show a recruit the course, they’ll understand how invested we are in their potential and in continuing to be a national contender in this sport.”

For more on Mines Athletics, visit minesathletics.com.