By STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS®, 1/15/2013
STIHL Announces 2013 STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series Professional Lumberjack Competitors
The Original Extreme Sport will return to the Great Smoky Mountain Lumberjack Feud for the U.S. Championships this June
2013 Professional Lumberjack Competitors
Source: STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS®
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – STIHL Inc., creator and producer of the premier lumberjack sports event, the STIHL® TIMBERSPORTS® Series presented by Ram Trucks, announced today the top 40 professional lumberjack athletes who will compete in the 2013 U.S. Series. From countless applicants, only the top 40 choppers/sawyers have qualified for the premier lumberjack competition. This year’s roster features a strong mix of veteran and rookie competitors who are determined to prove their lumberjack chops as they vie for the national title. For the second year, the Series will return to the Great Smoky Lumberjack Feud in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. for the highly-anticipated STIHL TIMBERSPORTS U.S. Pro and Collegiate Championships June 7-9, 2013.
“As the saw-screaming action begins again this March, fans from all over the country will have the opportunity to witness top athletes contend for a slice of the U.S. Championship title,” said Brad Sorgen, producer of the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series. “Since 1985, STIHL has identified the nation’s top lumberjack athletes through the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series. We are thrilled to debut one of our most competitive and diverse fields yet.”
Arden Cogar Jr., a civil defense trial attorney from West Hamlin, W. Va., returns to the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series for his 26th season to defend his national title as the 2011 and 2012 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series U.S. Champion. Tim Benedict, a recent graduate of Penn State, will make his debut among the pros this season after winning the 2012 Collegiate Championship, which gave him an automatic spot in the 2013 Pro Series. In addition, two familiar faces from the Lumberjack Feud, Derek Knutson and Andrew Mattison, will rejoin the ranks of the Original Extreme Sport this year both competing in the Southern Qualifier.
Additional former collegiate competitors who have moved up into the pro ranks and will compete again this season include David Green from Sisters, Ore., Adam LaSalle from Fairplay, Colo., Walter Page from Tollhouse, Calif., Will Roberts from Cortland, NY, Logan Scarborough from Polkton, NC and Nathan Waterfield from Cherry Valley, NY. Additionally, three sets of father-son lumberjacks will compete this season, including Paul and Matt Cogar (cousins of Arden Cogar), Mel and Jason Lentz and Mike and Matt Slingerland.
Competition Locations
| Region / Location | Venue | City / State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Qualifier | Auburn University | Auburn, AL | March 15 |
| Midwest Qualifier | Michigan State University | Lansing, MI | April 6 |
| Mid-Atlantic Qualifier | Haywood Community College | Clyde, NC | April 14 |
| Northeast Qualifier | Finger Lakes Community College | Canandaigua, NY | April 19 |
| Western Qualifier | Missoula County Fairgrounds | Missoula, MT | April 26 |
| U.S. and Collegiate Championships | Lumberjack Feud | Pigeon Forge, TN | June 7-9 |
2013 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Competitors
| Southern Qualifier | Midwest Qualifier | Mid-Atlantic Qualifier | Northeast Qualifier | Western Qualifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Lentz Diana, W. Va. |
Matthew Cogar Diana, W. Va. |
Arden Cogar, Jr. West Hamlin, W. Va. |
David Jewett Pittsford, NY |
Branden Sirguy Port Angeles, Wash. |
| Mike Slingerland Rockwell, NC |
Carson Bosworth Lake Geneva, Wis. |
Nathan Waterfield Cherry Valley, NY |
Mike Sullivan Winsted, Conn. |
David Moses Snoqualmie, Wash. |
| Matt Slingerland Rockwell, NC |
Matthew Marks Middlesex, NY |
Harry Burnsworth Mill Run, Pa. |
Richard Jordan Sterling, Conn. |
Mike Forrester Glide, Ore. |
| Paul Cogar Diana, W. Va. |
Warrick Hallett Glencoe, Minn. |
Mike Eash Coatesville, Pa. |
Will Roberts Cortland, NY |
Rob Waibel West Linn, Ore. |
| Derek Knutson Pigeon Forge, Tenn. |
Jason Lentz Diana, W. Va. |
Chris Bradshaw Ridgeley, W. Va. |
Wally Robarge Naples, NY |
Jeff Skirvin Clatskanie, Ore. |
| Andrew Mattison Pigeon Forge, Tenn. |
James Hartley Colbert, Wash. |
Mike Koers Russell, Pa. |
Calvin Willard Barnet, Vt. |
Walter Page Tollhouse, Calif. |
| Logan Scarborough Polkton, NC |
Adam LaSalle Fairplay, Colo. |
Paul Pfenninger Scottsville, NY |
Dave Engasser Cortland, NY |
David Green Sisters, Ore. |
| Daryl Weakland Kannapolis, NC |
Mark Jones Princeton, W. Va. |
Tim Benedict Pittsfield, Pa. |
Jerry Gingras Errol, NH |
T.J. Bexton Hoquiam, Wash. |
Check out all the 2013 Professional Competitors here.
