RAPID CITY, SD - (May 23, 2025) – South Dakota Mines' Cole Dobberstein seized his moment on the national stage, earning an All-American finish at the NCAA Championships on Thursday night.

Entering the meet ranked 22nd in the nation in the 400-meter hurdles—the final qualifier—Dobberstein needed a top-16 finish to earn Second Team All-American honors, and he delivered.
Running in the third and final heat, Dobberstein's race got off to a rocky start after hitting the third hurdle.

But he didn't back down.

He quickly rebounded and surged from last place at the halfway mark to pass three competitors in the final 150 meters. His hard charge down the homestretch earned Dobberstein a time fast enough to leapfrog five athletes from the earlier heats, advancing him up eight spots to a 14^th-place national finish – and officially on the All-American list.

"There's more in the tank," said Dobberstein after his race. "I want to come back next year with lots of teammates and really get it done."

Dobberstein wasn't alone in Pueblo. The Mines Track & Field team showed up in true Hardrocker fashion. Head Coach Joe Stephens and assistant coaches Emily Olson and Gage Rayman led the effort on-site, while senior captain Isaiah Thurman doubled as the team's official photographer. Recently graduated decathlon standout Aidan Thompson—this year's RMAC decathlon champion—made the trip to cheer on his teammate.

"This kind of sacrifice and commitment to excellence is growing into the fabric of our program," said Head Coach Joe Stephens.
With a gutsy performance on the national stage, Dobberstein proved the Hardrockers belong among the country's best—and that they're just getting started.
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About South Dakota Mines Athletics
South Dakota Mines is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The RMAC is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah.
 
About South Dakota Mines
Founded in 1885, South Dakota Mines is one of the nation's leading engineering, science and technology universities. South Dakota Mines offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees and a best-in-class education at an affordable price. The university enrolls 2,579 students with an average class size of 24. The South Dakota Mines placement rate for graduates is 97 percent, with an average starting salary of $77,067. For these reasons, South Dakota Mines is ranked among the best engineering schools in the country for return on investment. Find us online at www.sdsmt.edu and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat.