At South Dakota Mines, Track & Field is a year-round commitment.

Spanning the entire academic calendar, the sport demands consistent dedication, discipline and resilience. That challenge is elevated even further by the rigor of a premier STEM education.
Despite those demands, the Hardrockers continue to find success on the national stage.  

"It's hard to argue with Augustus Fink earning Second Team All-America," head coach Joe Stephens said, "Some other moments were Isaac Haynie winning the 60-meter hurdles event and Everett Gilbert winning the high jump. Those three moments were very special for our program."

Those performances are the result of both development and recruiting—two areas where scholarship support plays a critical role.

Isaac and Logan Haynie arrived at South Dakota Mines from Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona. Their path to Rapid City nearly changed during the recruiting process.  

"Last spring when we were finalizing the recruitment for them, their level of play blew up and started moving to DI level of recruitment," Stephens said. "We did not want to lose them. We were able to increase their scholarship offer, and that made a big difference in keeping them here.  

Both Haynie brothers made an immediate impact as conference scorers in their first seasons, reinforcing the value of investing in the right student-athletes.

"My job is to create a great proving ground for these student-athletes," Stephens said. "Our donors provide the other piece of that equation that can make our student-athletes great."

That support is especially important in today's college athletics landscape, where retention has become just as critical as recruiting.

"Retention in college athletics is unbelievably important," Stephens said "We had some student-athletes last year generate some Division I interest so we went out and fundraised for them. That meant the world to them."

At South Dakota Mines, culture and support go hand-in-hand. A strong team environment has helped the Hardrockers develop and retain talent—but continued scholarship investment is key to sustaining that success.  

"We have a good system and a good culture, which is good for retention and development," Stephens said. "When we take that culture and pump money into it, these scholarships aren't wasted."

Looking ahead, the goal is clear: continue climbing within the RMAC while expanding the program's ability to recruit and retain top talent.  

"At this stage, we are in the lower tier of the RMAC in terms of scholarships," Stephens said. "We are using our money wisely right now, but if we can increase it, we are going to win more high-level student-athletes."

The Rise of the Rockers Scholarship Campaign directly impacts Hardrocker student-athletes. With continued support, the experience—and the success—of South Dakota Mines Athletics will only continue to grow. Consider making an impact by clicking the image below, or the "Rise of the Rockers" tab at GoRockers.com.