RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Mines, along with the Hardrock Club, will enshrine six new members and one team into its Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 27th, during Homecoming weekend. The event will be streamed live at rmacnetwork.com/sdmines.
The inductees to the 2025 Hall of Fame are as follows:
Rusty Kocon:
Rusty Kocon graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering following the 1991-92 season and had a great career with South Dakota Mines, despite playing just two seasons. He accomplished the goal of scoring over 1,000 points in his career in just two seasons, a difficult feat. Kocon was a two-time All-SDIC selection after averaging 18.4 points per game in his senior season and 21.3 points per game in his junior season.
At graduation, Kocon was the #14 scorer and held the career three-pointers made record. Currently, he sits at #27 on the scoring list with 1,148 points scored in his career.
1974-76 Football Teams:
Under the leadership of head coach Gary Boner, these squads won two of Boner's seven SDIC Championships. In 1974, the Hardrockers finished 6-2-1 on the way to their first conference championship and went 5-4 in 1975, earning their second straight SDIC Championship. In 1976, the Hardrockers finished 4-4-1 to go a combined 15-10-2 over the three years.
Jerry Schafer:
Jerry Schafer served as the South Dakota Mines track and field head coach for 32 years, the head coach of the cross country teams for 28 years, and was with Mines for 34 years altogether, beginning in 1984, before taking over the head coach of the track and field and cross country programs in 1986. He served as head coach of the cross country and track and field programs until 2012. In the fall of 2012, Steve Johnson became the Head Cross Country Coach, and Coach Schafer became the Director of Cross Country and Track and Field and Head Track and Field Coach. Throughout Coach Schafer's tenure, South Dakota Mines had 79 national competitors, 22 national placers, and 19 All-American honors.
Don Bachand:
A 1977 civil engineering graduate, Don Bachand was a solid contributor throughout his time at Mines. He averaged nearly double digits in points in his last two years and was named All-SDIC in his junior season.
Dean Schauer:
Graduating in 1989 with a degree in metallurgical engineering, Schauer was a four-year member of the men's basketball team, playing from 1984 to 1988. As a player, Schauer was a member of two SDIC conference championship teams and was a captain in his senior year with the program, his best as a Rocker. In his senior season, he averaged 14.8 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting. As a builder, Schauer gave one of the most significant gifts in the history of the South Dakota Mines athletic department in 2023, offering $50,000 annually for the next 20 years to the men's and women's basketball programs. All told, that gift will be worth $1,000,000 in athletic scholarships.
Mel Vedvei:
Mel Vedvei was a stellar player and an instant contributor to the women's basketball team. A four-year member, Vedvei graduated in 2008 with a degree in industrial engineering. Vedvei was a three-time DAC/DAC-10 All-Conference athlete, earning DAC/DAC-10 MVP honors twice. In addition, Vedvei was a three-time NAIA All-American selection following her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Mel averaged 17.3 points per game for her career, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. Mel is the second-highest scorer in school history, scoring 1,972 points for her career. She is also near the top of the school's records in rebounding (10th, 746), assists (2nd, 488), and three-pointers made (13th, 122).
Chuck Speice:
Chuck, a 1957 geological engineering graduate, was a multi-sport athlete at Mines, participating in football, men's basketball, track and field, and wrestling. An end in football, Speice competed from 1953-1956 while also earning letters in basketball, track and field, and wrestling.
About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II, offering 11 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members and four associate members in California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.
MEDIA CONTACT
Cassie Kosiba
Senior Woman Administrator & Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations
605-394-2643
