Fan Competes at Forestry Field Day

Staff Writer

  Fans in every sport support their team and will do whatever it takes to lead them to victory.

Photo by Michael Thomas

Hackin' Away - Stephanie Hackney competed in her first Forestry Field Day Feb. 9, going from fan to teammate.

   Stephanie Hackney, a senior at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, did just that Feb. 9, but took it a step further by actually competing in Forestry Field Day events.

   "When they asked me to compete, I had a lot of mixed feelings," Hackney said. "So, I decided to show what I got," she added jokingly.

   Hackney, a fan of the Forestry Field Day events since her first year, said she always admired the rareness of the sport and the hard work the athletes put in to compete. These events require mental toughness and great athletic ability.

   The School of Forest Resources ranks first in the state, and the Conclave team nearly dominants the competition.

   The Conclave team competes annually against other schools in different events pertaining to the forestry field, such as the axe throw, archery, log birling and the pole climb. The team that earns the most points in a decade wins the Conclave Cup.

   In the history of the 49 Conclaves, UAM currently owns 29 victories. Conclave consists of 15 Division I schools.  UAM remains the Division II school that competes at Conclave. UAM is currently tied with Stephen F. Austin with four wins at Conclave for the decade. If the teams remain tied, they will go into a tiebreaker to decide the champion.

   Lynne Thompson, professor of forest entomology, said it will be harder to maintain their competitive edge due to the shrinking number of UAM Conclave participants while other competitor’s numbers remain consistent. Thompson said in order to stay competitive they have allowed students outside the forestry department to compete as well.    

   Hackney will have much support and help from a strong veteran team - Covy Brown, three-time champ in log birling; Brad Sears, returning champ in axe throw; and Logan Hancock, runner-up the past two years in archery.

   Hancock came to Forestry Field Day focused as he placed first in six events. His events included log chopping, the axe throw, archery, men’s bow saw, Jack-and-Jill crosscut and log rolling.

    “I’m just a natural athlete, and I am very optimistic about finishing in the top at Conclave,”  Hancock said. “Hard work and perseverance goes a long way.”

   Hackney will have to put in a lot of work in a little amount of time, as Conclave starts March 6. She will compete in Jack-and-Jill crosscut, women’s cross cut and women’s bow saw.

   Knowing how much a win could help get the team closer to a Conclave Cup, Hackney said, “I hope I can put them over the edge (at Conclave).”    

   How can a Division II school compete every year against much bigger schools and become victorious at the end?

    “The satisfaction of showing up the bigger schools,” Thompson answered. “The kids get a personal satisfaction out of it (Conclave) and bragging rights.”

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