NC West Virginia News

The West Virginia University Mine Rescue Team has once again proven its prowess by winning the 2025 Intercollegiate Mine Emergency Rescue Development competition. The event, held from February 17-21 at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, saw nine teams from the United States, Canada, and Germany compete. This victory marks the team's third consecutive international win alongside four national titles.

The team comprises students from various engineering disciplines at WVU's Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. Members include Trent Cavanaugh, Ashton Crawford, Grace Hansen, August Lasko, Evan Rice, Dylan Shilling, Ian Stengel, and Justin Waybright. They are guided by team advisor Josh Brady and trainers Randy Clark, John Helmick, Brian Malott, and Sean Rhodes.

"Overall, our team performed incredibly well," said Grace Hansen, a mechanical engineering student and team briefing officer. "Our biggest strengths are that we work hard in practice and train for the unexpected."

At this year's competition, the WVU team secured first place in several categories: the team mine rescue exercise, smoke maze, individual BG-4 bench challenge, and individual 240-R bio bench challenge. These achievements led to their overall champion title for the third year running.

"We continue to prove that consistent practice and old-fashioned hard work produces results," said Brady.

The competition involved challenging exercises such as navigating a smoke maze in an underground mine and performing high-angle rope rescues. Team members Shilling and Rice prepared by earning rope rescue technician certifications over the summer.

"We spent months training three days a week at 6 a.m., plus an additional week-long emergency response first aid course," Hansen explained.

In individual challenges testing breathing apparatus troubleshooting skills crucial for mine rescue operations, Waybright excelled in the BG-4 bench while Stengel won the 240-R bio bench category.

In another category focused on first aid during a simulated mine explosion scenario, WVU placed second. "These challenges not only tested us mentally but physically as well," said Waybright.

Beyond winning titles, participation offers students real-world experiences valuable for their future careers. "The skills I have learned in these competitions have prepared me to work under pressure with a team and as an individual," Hansen noted.

Brady emphasized that networking is also a key aspect of these competitions: "Each team member has made lifelong friends from around the world."