Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — The Stephen F. Austin State University timbersports team, the Sylvans, won its third-consecutive collegiate title at the annual Arkansas State Lumberjack Competition held Oct. 6 and 7 at the Arkansas Timberfest in Sheridan, Arkansas.
Students competed against the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Louisiana Tech University and Southern Illinois University in five physical timbersport events.
Arkansas State Rep. Ken Bragg, SFA alumnus and former president of the SFA Sylvans, officiated the competition. Fellow SFA alumnus Carl Hansen, among others, organized the 34th annual event.
“A number of SFA alumni were on hand and enjoyed talking with the students and watching them compete,” said Dr. Jeremy Stovall, associate professor of forestry and Sylvans faculty advisor. “The students represented our university well and were very professional.”
Other SFA alumni in attendance partnered with current students to compete in the professional division of the lumberjack competition. SFA alumnae Chelsea Lopez and Kirbee Bowman placed third in the Open Double-Buck Crosscut event against two professional men’s teams. Forestry student Zack Ovelgonne and Bowman won the Jack and Jill Crosscut competition in the professional division with a time of 5.88 seconds, while current forestry student Kyle Vyers and Lopez took fifth place.
The University of Arkansas at Monticello placed second in the competition with Southern Illinois University and Louisiana Tech University placing third and fourth respectively.