Local lumberjack helps USA win bronze medal at world championships

Published 12:33 am Friday, November 25, 2016

Staff report

STUTTGART, Germany — Team USA finished third in the recent STIHL Timbersports World Championships, Nov. 11-12.

Rockwell native Matt Slingerland was part of Team USA, which finished behind champion Australia and runner-up Canada.

The USA’s bronze medal continued America’s history of great international performances.

In the history of the event, the Americans have never failed to make the podium.

This year, Team USA also defeated rival New Zealand for the first time.

New Zealand actually finished fifth, behind the Czech Republic.

Germany, the host, Great Britain, Sweden, France and Austria rounded out the top 10.

USA’s Matt Cogar was the overall individual world champ with 93 points, 17 ahead of Italy’s Paolo Vicenzi.

In the U.S. Championships in Chicago, Slingerland, 25, finished eighth overall with 21 points.

Cogar was the U.S. champion with 42 points.

The competition included events such as the underhand chop, stock saw, standing block chop, single buck, springboard and hot saw.