Woodsmen’s Team member to compete in national championship
A member of the University of Maine Woodsmen’s Team has earned a spot in a national championship after placing first at a regional contest.
William “Brad” Jones, a third-year wildlife ecology major from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, will compete in the the 2016 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS U.S. Professional and Collegiate Championships July 15–16 in Chicago.
In April, the UMaine Woodsmen’s Team took part in the largest meet of their season, the 70th annual Northeast Woodsmen’s Conclave at Alfred State in Alfred, New York.
At the regional contest, the team also had the opportunity for one male and one female to compete against representatives from 13 other universities to earn a spot at the national championship.
Jones took the top spot in the STIHL Northeast Collegiate Qualifier, while female competitor Megan Woods placed fifth.
As a team, the men placed seventh in the meet, while the men’s and women’s “Jack-and-Jill” team placed eighth.
This will be Jones’ second trip to the championship where he will compete against five other collegiate qualifiers. Last year, Jones placed fifth in the national contest in New York City.
Jones, who has worked in the woods for most of his life, started logging sports when he came to UMaine in fall 2013. During his first year, he participated as the youngest competitor in the country in the STIHL Northeast Collegiate Qualifier, where he placed eighth.