Record breakers, champions and top finishers

by Mines Magazine | May 19, 2026 | Inside Mines, Spring 2026 | 0 comments

Female track and field athlete performing a long jump

TRACK & FIELD

Several track & field Orediggers delivered record-breaking performances this year, highlighted by Grace Strongman setting a new program mark in the 5,000 meters, Violet Williams establishing a new outdoor long jump record and Sierra Wall rewriting the record books in the steeplechase. On the team side, the men’s 4×400 relay squad surged to a historic performance, breaking both the existing RMAC record by two seconds and the Mines record by four. Complementing those individual and relay achievements, the women’s track & field team reached the highest national ranking in program history, climbing to No. 4 in the USTFCCA ratings.

SWIMMING

The men’s and women’s swimming & diving teams closed out the 2026 NCAA Division II Swimming & Diving Championships with a pair of all-America finishes. Anna Bream finished 12th in the 200-breast, and the women’s 400-freestyle relay team took 15th in the nation. The two finishes boosted the Oredigger women to a team finish of 16th—NCAA-era bests for Mines’ women. The Oredigger men’s relay finish earned them a tied 26th placement in the nation.

A referee holds up the arm of a Mines wrestler to show he is the winner of the match

WRESTLING

Cody Thompson won the NCAA Division II 149-pound championship, becoming Mines Wrestling’s eighth national champion and first since 1998. He was also named the NWCA Super Region VI Wrestler of the Year for the second time in his career.