Hardrocker Stories

SIOUX FALLS --- The South Dakota School of Mines women's volleyball team had similar results on Day 2 of the University of Sioux Falls Volleyball Tournament in Sioux Falls, splitting a pair of matches and giving them a 2-2 overall tournament record.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. --- The South Dakota School of Mines women's volleyball team split a pair of matches Friday during the first day of the University of Sioux Falls Volleyball Tournament in Sioux Falls. The Hardrockers took a tough loss to Briar Cliff University (Iowa), 2-3, and then bounced back with a solid victory over Iowa Wesleyan University 3-0.

RAPID CITY --- The South Dakota School of Mines football team is looking to do something it has never done before. The Hardrockers are 0-9 lifetime against Colorado School of Mines entering Saturday's game at O'Harra Stadium, when the two teams meet up for the first time since 2002. The 'Rockers lost that game 49-7. South Dakota School of Mines is coming off a 13-6 win over Montana Tech and knows it has a big test in front of it.

RAPID CITY --- The South Dakota School of Mines women's basketball team is at it again. After logging more than 500 hours of community service last season, the Lady Hardrockers picked right up where they left off during this brand new school year (classes started Tuesday) by teaming with the United Way to participated in the "Day of Caring" program.

BUTTE, Mont. --- The South Dakota School of Mines football team came through down the stretch to defeat the Montana Tech Oredigers, 13-6, Saturday night on the road in Butte, Mont.

After being tied, 6-6, for a majority of the second half, junior running back Jamie Dale snapped off a long run  late in the fourth quarter, which set up a one-yard touchdown run by senior linebacker Everett Brill. The Hardrocker defense held off a last-second charge by Montana Tech and give SD Mines a 1-0 overall mark on the season.

BUTTE, Mont. --- The South Dakota School of Mine women's volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday on Day 2 on the Montana Tech Volleyball Tournament in Butte, Mont. After dropping two games on the first day of tournament, the Hardrockers bounced back nicely with a convincing win over the University of Montana-Western 3-0, before coming up short to a solid Montana Tech squad, falling, 3-0.

BUTTE, Mont. --- The South Dakota School of Mines women's volleyball team opened the season Friday at the Montana Tech Tournament in Butte, Mont. The Lady Hardrockers competed against Montana State University --- Northern and Rocky Mountain College.

BUTTE, Mont. --- The South Dakota School of Mines football team begins its 2010 football season looking for a repeat of the result it had to open last season - perhaps without the overtime drama this time around.

RAPID CITY --- The South Dakota School of Mines' run defense finished second in the Dakota Athletic Conference last season. The pass defense finished last in the eight-team conference. The Hardrocker secondary is out to fix that problem this season.

RAPID CITY --- The South Dakota School of Mines men's basketball program continues to make upgrades to its roster as the  Hardrockers prepare for the 2010-11 season and the final year of the Dakota Athletic Conference. The most recent addition to the team is NCAA Div. I transfer James Dean, from Las Vegas, Nev.

RAPID CITY ---- From intramural to All-American. It has been quite a ride for junior place-kicker Andy Smith, who walked onto the South Dakota School of Mines football team three games into the season his freshman year and became the first Hardrocker football player to earn All-American honors a season ago.

RAPID CITY ---South Dakota School of Mines junior Jamie Dale has had an impressive two seasons as the feature running back for the Hardrockers. This season Dale may have more help turning Mines' running game into a big-time threat. Freshman Lukas Van Laecken, a three-time all-state running back from Sanborn Central, enters college with some solid credentials, including a senior season where he tallied 1,979 yards and scored 21 touchdowns.

RAPID CITY --- A year after hiring a new coach, installing a new system and making a run into the post season, the South Dakota School of Mines women's volleyball team is hoping to pick up where it left off and push even further as the 2010 Hardrocker volleyball season gets underway.

RAPID CITY --- Goodell Gymnasium still plays host to some fresh memories for Jennie Malone. The former volleyball middle hitter and 1,000-point scorer on the hardwood is just a couple of years removed from her athletics career at South Dakota Mines. But she's already found her way back to the school as the Hardrockers' volleyball practices began in earnest earlier in the week.

Enthusiasm was the name of the game as South Dakota Mines opened fall football practice for the 2010 season on Monday with two sessions.

"You're always excited because you've waited all year for this thing to come back around again," Mines head coach Dan Kratzer said at the start of his fifth season at the Hardrocker helm. "We really have a good core of veterans coming back and we have a good group of young freshmen that may be as talented as any group we've brought in. That makes it pretty exciting. The real exciting thing is that a lot of those good freshmen aren't going to play because they've got some good players in front of them. Four years ago every one of them probably would have played."

RAPID CITY --- Football season has officially arrived. The South Dakota School of Mines and Black Hills State football teams begin preparations for the new season with the opening of camp. Black Hills State, which went 6-4 last season and beat conference champion Dickinson State in the Dacotah Bowl to end the season, opens camp today while Mines begins Saturday.