• Nevada State Mining Championships


Drilling contests have been held in Tonopah since 1902. We continue that tradition to this day with the Nevada State Mining Championships.

Held every year during Jim Butler Days. Contestants from all over Nevada and the west compete for silver hammers and shovels and BIG prize money. Double Jack is $700 apiece for the top team! Some events pay to FIVE places! Men’s and Women’s Single Jack winners receive $100 per inch drilled, and cash prizes are awarded to second through fourth places.

Join us at the Elks Lodge around noon on Saturday, May 23rd after the parade for Men and Women’s Mucking and Drilling, Men and Women’s Team Mucking, and Double Jack. Closed circuit TV is available inside the lodge so you can have a drink at the bar while you’re enjoying the competitions.

Cog Cog

2026 Nevada State Mining Championship Results

Men’s Mucking

Place Competitor Time Prize
1st James Eason 2:17.75 $400
2nd Aric Lyles 2:50.00 $200
3rd Chance Smith 3:29.84 $100
Mark Maffey 3:43.63
Ryan Novell 3:53.87
Joe Leising 4:13.37
Chris Swetz 4:39.53
Craig Lemons 4:52.78
Richard Bean 5:01.16
Robert Martin 6:25.96

Men’s Team Mucking

Place Team Time Prize
1st James Eason & Taskar Eason 1:12.31 $200 each
2nd Tate West & Greg Stokes 1:46.87 $100 each
3rd Austin Lemons & Craig Lemons 1:54.21 $50 each
Peter Maffey & Nick Maffey 1:54.25
Taskar Eason & Ian Guthridge 1:46.87

Women’s Mucking

Place Competitor Time Prize
1st Megan Cruz 3:48.94 $200
2nd Carrisa Tashiro 4:30.78 $100
3rd Tayla Wombaker 5:49.94 $50
Keira Humphrey 6:51.53

Women’s Team Mucking

Place Team Time Prize
1st Lisa Maslach & Hannah Dowers 0:55.89 $200 each
2nd Toni Wombaker & Tayla Wombaker 1:36.65 $100 each

Men’s Single Jack

Place Competitor Distance Prize
1st Tom Donovan 11-9/16″ $1,100
2nd Kaleb Denham 10-1/8″ $550
3rd Craig Leedy 9-9/16″ $275
4th Skip Leedy 9-3/8″ $137
5th Jesse Pattridge 9-1/8″ $75
Vern Baker 8-3/8″
Tobin Rupert 7-5/16″
Greg Hosler 7″
James Eason 5-7/8″
Mark Maffey 4-7/8″
Austin Lemons 4-7/8″
Greg Stokes 4-3/8″
Ian Guthridge 4-1/4″
Tate West 4″
Nick Maffey 3-13/16″
Taskar Eason 3-7/16″
Aiden Gromis 3-5/8″
Justin Perchetti 3-5/8″
Peter Maffey 2-9/16″

Women’s Single Jack

No Entrants

Men’s Double Jack

Place Team Distance Prize
1st Craig Leedy & Tom Donovan 18″ $400 each
2nd Jesse Pattridge & Greg Hosler 17-15/16″ $200 each
3rd Kaleb Denham & Vern Baker 11-3/4″ $100 each
Ian Guthridge & Taskar Eason 9″
Austin Lemons & Braxton Barker 4-5/16″

State Records

EVENT
CONTESTANT
YEAR
RECORD

Men’s Single Jack

 Tom Donovan 1991 15-13/16”

Most Consecutive Men’s Single Jack Wins

 Fred Andreasen 1972-1985

Men’s Double Jack

 Scott Havens & Steve MacDonald 1998 25-1/6”

Men’s Mucking

 Brock Boscovich 1998 1:33.85

Men’s Team Mucking

 Matt Decker & Steve MacDonald 2010 0:48.31

Women’s Single Jack

 Emma Baker 2018 6-29/32”

Women’s Mucking (1/2 Ton)

 Emma Baker 2021 1:26.22

Women’s Mucking
(One Ton) *

 Candy Metscher 1980 4:39.00

Women’s Team Mucking (1/2)

 Emma Baker & Claire Roberts 2021 0:34.72

* First and only year for one ton for
women’s event
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