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Theron Yazzie, from BHP Billiton San Juan Coal Co., talks through his pre-shift competition with contest judges Thursday at Moffat County High School. San Juan, based in Waterflow, N.M., was one of 18 teams representing Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming during the Colorado Mine Rescue Contest. The team finished fourth in the pre-shift competition

Photo by Joshua Gordon

Ray Mazzola, from Twentymile Coal Co., stands by during the Colorado Mine Rescue Contest’s pre-shift competition Thursday at Moffat County High School. Sixteen Twentymile employees participated in the three-day event, competing in first-aid, bench, mine rescue and pre-shift competitions. Mazzola’s group of workers took fifth place in the event overall.

Photo by Joshua Gordon

Mitch Gonzalez, from BHP Billiton San Juan Coal Co., prepares Thursday before entering the Colorado Mine Rescue Contest’s pre-shift competition at Moffat County High School. The pre-shift competition involves workers going through a scenario akin to a routine safety check at a coal mine, observing levels of methane, oxygen and other parts of the work environment.

Photo by Joshua Gordon

David Moffett, from BHP Billiton San Juan Coal Co., looks over his course Thursday during the Colorado Mine Rescue Contest’s pre-shift competition at Moffat County High School. The course set up at Moffat County High School’s football field was designed to resemble a coalmine layout to give competitors a sense of reality during the simulation.

Photo by Joshua Gordon

Nate Chavez, from BHP Billiton San Juan Coal Co., consults with contest judges Thursday during the Colorado Mine Rescue Contest’s pre-shift competition at Moffat County High School. Energy West Mining Co., of Huntington, Utah, finished first overall in the competition. The teams from Northwest Colorado’s Twentymile Coal Co., finished fifth and sixth.

Photo by Joshua Gordon