Virginia Beach, Va. (May 20, 2009) –For the first time ever, STIHL hosted a STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® women’s collegiate challenge, a competition that pitted the best female lumberjack sports athletes from northeast regional colleges against one another.
Sara Hutchins, a 21-year-old art major at Colby College, won the inaugural 2009 women’s STIHL Collegiate Challenge presented by Carhartt. Honoring her win, STIHL awarded a $500 scholarship in her name to Colby College and a Keech competition ax to Hutchins. A Keech competition ax is a specialized razor-sharp racing ax that is valued at more than $300.
Hutchins secured her victory by a mere point over University of New Hampshire’s Megan Bujnowski. The lumberjills of Finger Lakes Community College, Kendra Trammell, and SUNY-ESF, Ashley Thomas, tied for third, coming in five points shy of the first-place score. The lumberjills competed in three STIHL TIMBERSPORTS professional disciplines, the single buck, stock saw and underhand chop.
“We were very excited for the opportunity to sponsor a women’s-only lumberjill competition,” said Roger Phelps, promotional communications manager for STIHL Inc. “This was a great opportunity for STIHL to support women in lumberjack sports and acknowledge the growth of the sport at the college level.”
The event was held in conjunction with the 63rd Annual Spring Woodsmen's Weekend at the Dartmouth College campus in Hanover, NH Saturday afternoon, April 25. STIHL hosted the first STIHL TIMBERSPORTS women’s collegiate challenge in honor of the Dartmouth Outing Club’s 100th anniversary. Recognized as one of the only private, four-year liberal arts institutions to participate in and host the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Series, Dartmouth’s Outing Club is the oldest and largest collegiate outing club and encompasses year-round outdoor recreation. It was created in 1909 to stimulate interest in outdoor winter sports. Today, the club has more than 1,500 student members and acts as an umbrella organization for about a dozen member clubs which each specialize in an aspect of outdoor recreation.
The entire 2009 season of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Series will air on ESPNU. Fans of the series can also get the latest information and up-to-date news and video on all the competitions by signing up for the Quick Cuts e-newsletter at
www.stihltimbersports.com
.
STIHL Inc. is the creator and producer of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series presented by Carhartt, the world’s premier lumberjack sports event, as seen by millions of fans on ESPN. Since STIHL created the Collegiate Series in 2003, the Series has traveled to college campuses across the country to seek out the best amateur athletes and give them the opportunity to advance in the sport. More than 52 universities and colleges presently compete in the Series.
Join the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Mobile Community now by texting STS to STIHL (78445) and get the latest news, alerts and special offers direct to your mobile device. Standard mobile service provider rates apply.
For more information, go to
www.ESPNOutdoors.com
and click on TIMBERSPORTS, or visit
www.stihltimbersports.com
.
The final results from the first women’s STIHL TIMBERSPORTS collegiate event are:
1 Sara Hutchins, Colby College 23 points
2 Megan Bujnowski, University of New Hampshire 22 points
3 Ashley Thomas, SUNY-ESF 18 points
3 Kendra Trammel, Finger Lakes Community College 18 points
5 Megan Veley, Paul Smith’s College 17 points
6 Nichole Lampro, SUNY-Cobleskill 12 points
7 Amanda Walker Unity College, 9 points
8 Hana Kiewicz-Schlansker, University of Vermont 7 points
9 Alix Perez-Lawrence, Dartmouth College 3 points
About STIHL Inc.
STIHL Inc. manufactures the world's largest selling brand of chainsaws and produces a full line of powerful, lightweight, and versatile handheld outdoor power equipment for homeowners and professional users. STIHL products are sold through independent servicing power equipment retailers from coast to coast – not mass merchants. STIHL products sold through U.S. STIHL dealers are for distribution in the United States only. For more information or for the name of the closest STIHL retailer call toll free 1-800-GO STIHL (1-800-467-8445) or visit STIHL's Web site at
www.stihlusa.com
.
STIHL Inc. is the official underwriting sponsor of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. The series airs throughout the year on the ESPN2 cable network, and the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Collegiate Series airs on ESPNU. The STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® SERIES is the pinnacle event in lumberjack sports. Since 1985 the Series has grown to become the premier showcase of the decades old sport of lumberjacking with competitions held around the world.
The term TIMBERSPORTS® is a registered trademark owned by ANDREAS STIHL AG & Co. KG. and refers to the series of disciplines and competitions that are part of the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series. As such, it should not be used as a generic description of the overall sport of lumberjack sports. This trademark refers to all modifications of the term TIMBERSPORTS such as timber sports, or timbersport. The term TIMBERSPORTS should always appear in conjunction with "STIHL."
About Carhartt, Inc
Established in 1889, Carhartt, Inc. exists to provide best-in-class, durable products for the active worker. Carhartt is a family owned, consumer focused, global company that is respectful of its heritage. We lead the way in developing durable, premium, high quality products and services for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., with more than 4,500 employees worldwide, Carhartt is privately owned and managed by the descendants of the company’s founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit
www.carhartt.com
.
####
