Cal Poly’s logging team chops down the competition to claim No. 1 title

Cal Poly’s logging team toppled the competition to claim first place at the Cal Conclave collegiate logging competition held Saturday on campus.

The 24-member team, consisting of women and men, competed in three groups of eight, “based on a combination of ability, improvement and commitment to the competition,” according to a statement from Cal Poly spokeswoman AnnMarie Cornejo.

Will Kraemer, a bioresource and agricultural engineering junior at Cal Poly, also won the title “Bull of the Woods,” given to the top male competitor.

Cal Poly went head-to-head with teams from Humboldt State University, UC Berkeley and Northern Arizona University at the all-day event; a team from Arizona claimed second place while a team from Humboldt took third.

Events included tree climbing, power saw (chainsaw), single and double buck with cross cut saws, obstacle pole, choker setting and more, Cornejo wrote in a statement.

Cal Poly is set to host the 79th annual Association of Western Forestry Clubs Logging Sports Conclave, the largest annual college competition of its kind, in spring 2018.

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Cal Poly’s logging team chops down the competition to claim No. 1 title."