The contest, sponsored by the VMI, was held earlier this month at the Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Community Center. Judges and event volunteers included the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME), Kentucky mine officials, Ohio mine officials, West Virginia mine officials and Brickstreet Insurance.
Specific contests included mine rescue, bench and pre-shift, and teams from Virginia, Alabama and Illinois participated.
Other big winners included: Consol Buchanan Mining – Red Team (first runner-up, Mine Rescue); Wellmore Coal Co. – Gray Team (second runner-up, Mine Rescue); Prairie State Generating – Lively Grove Team (third runner-up, Mine Rescue); Wellmore Coal Co. – Red Team (first place, Mine Rescue Team Day 1); Prairie State Generating – Lively Grove Team (second place, Team Day 1); Wellmore Coal Co. – Gray Team (third place, Team Day 1); Consol Buchanan Mining – Red Team (first place, Mine Rescue Team Day 2); state of Alabama – Blue Team (second place, Mine Rescue Team Day 2); Consol Buchanan Mining – Black Team (third place. Mine Rescue Team Day 2).
In bench BG4, first place went to James Gardner (Alabama), followed by Consol Buchanan Mining’s Josh Richardson. Bench first place for BioMarine 240R went to Wellmore’s Shannon Moore.
In pre-shift, first place was earned by Consol Buchanan Mining’s Kenny Richardson. Second and third were Wellmore’s Lance Wimmer and Bill Slone, respectively.
“Despite trends in the coal industry, as long as one person is mining coal in Virginia, these teams must be prepared for any emergency,” DMME Mine Chief Randy Moore said.
