On April 26 & 27, the annual Ohio Tree Climbing Championship was held at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. Although there were some strong winds and light rain, the park was a spectacular setting. Established in 1845, Spring Grove has been serving the Cincinnati area for over 175 years. Designated as a National Historic Landmark, Spring Grove is a hidden gem in the Queen City with over 700 acres to explore.
The Chapter was grateful for Jay Butcher’s time in chairing and preparing for the event, head judge Rick Denbeau, and head tech Jason Diehl. In addition, numerous volunteers and sponsors were instrumental in making sure the event was safe and run according to ITCC rules. Exhibiting at the Arbor Fair were Endor’s Arborist Rope & Supply, Forrest Lytle & Sons, Miniloaders.com, Mobetta Arborist Supply, Rainbow Ecoscience, and USDA.
New this year, students were provided an opportunity to compete in a modified work climb event. There were 5 participants. Congratulations to Katelyn Capatosto with Cuyahoga Community College who came in 1st place. Additional participants included Ashley Boozer, Melissa Dougherty, Destiny Griffiths, and Nick Johnson.
Tree climbing competitions held around the world simulate the working conditions of arborists in the field. This year, we had forty competitors from Ohio, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Canada, and Sweden competing in five preliminary events: Aerial Rescue, Ascent, Belayed Speed Climb, Throw Line, and Work Climb. First, second, and third-place medals were awarded in the men’s and women’s divisions in each event. Masters’ Challenge first-place received an ArborMaster
Competitors' scores for all five events were combined and the top three Ohio competitors in each division with the highest combined score from the preliminary events moved on to the Masters' Challenge and an opportunity to represent Ohio in the International Competition that will be held in Atlanta in August. Congratulations Evan Beck and Lily Soderlund – we know that you will make Ohio proud!
CONGRATULATIONS...
2024 OHIO TREE CLIMBING CHAMPIONSHIPS
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MASTERS' CHALLENGE |
Men’s Division |
Women’s Division |
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1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place |
Evan Beck (Score 119.67) Jacob Nau (Score (74) Mac McGuire (Score 26.67) |
Lily Soderlund (Score 126) Jenny Rexroad (Score 96.67) Anna Sonnenfeld (Score 93) |
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Aerial Rescue |
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1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place |
Jacob Nau (OH-Score 43.00) Selvin Diaz (OH-Score 41.33) Bailey Hordyk (Canada-Score 39.33) |
Anna Sonnenfeld (OH-Score 35.67) Jenny Rexroad (OH -Score 29) Lily Soderlund (OH-Score 28) |
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Ascent Event |
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1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place |
Abdon Leon-Espinosa (MI-Time 17.18) Evan Beck (OH-Time 17.29) Cody Schwartz (MI-Time 19.10) |
Jenny Rexroad (OH-Time 30.05) Lily Soderlund (OH-Time 31.24) Anna Sonnenfeld (OH-Time 33.07) |
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Belayed Speed Climb |
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1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place |
Sam Baltodano (OH-Time 18.98) Evan Beck (OH-Time 22.75) Bailey Hordyk (Canada-Time 23.03) |
Boel Hammarstrand (Sweden-Time 40.97) Lily Soderlund (OH-Time 42.19) Jenny Rexroad (OH-Time 42.25) |
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Throwline |
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1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place |
Abdon Leon-Espinosa (MI-Score 26) Mac McGuire (OH-Score 26) Cody Schwartz (MI-Score 26) |
Boel Hammarstrand (Sweden-Score 19) Lily Soderlund (OH-Score 13) Jenny Rexroad (OH-Score 10) |
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Work Climb |
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1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place |
Sam Baltodano(OH-Score 74) Brennan Kissman (PA-Score 69.37) Jacob Nau (OH-Score 68.85) |
Lily Soderlund (OH-Score 65.67) Jenny Rexroad (OH-Score 59.10) Boel Hammarstrand (Sweden-Score 57.47) |
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