Breakthrough Champions, Record-Breaking Cuts and an Eight-Time Winner: STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Crowns 2026 U.S. Champions

Three national champions emerged after three days of hard-fought competition that featured a world record, two national records and dramatic tiebreakers

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® returned to German Fest in Milwaukee this weekend with three days of elite competition that delivered breakthrough performances, dramaticfinishes and record-setting cuts as the nation's top lumberjacks and lumberjills battled for U.S. titles. The championship weekend featured three marquee events, beginning with Friday's U.S. Hot Saw Showdown before continuing with Saturday's U.S. Women's Championship and culminating in Sunday's U.S. Men's Championship.

"Every year the level of competition continues to rise, and this weekend may have been the best example of that yet," said Adam Wolff, USA Team Manager. "We saw veteran champions pushed to their limits, first-time winners break through on one of the sport's biggest stages and athletes setting new records across multiple disciplines. Every event came down to execution under pressure and we saw these competitors rise to the occasion. That's exactly what makes the U.S. Championships so special."

Wilson Breaks Through to Capture Hot Saw Showdown Title

The action got underway Friday evening with the Hot Saw Showdown, bringing the sport's fastest and most electrifying discipline to the U.S. Championships for the first time after making its competition debut earlier this season at the North American Trophy.

The excitement began in the Time Trial, where reigning U.S. Men's Champion Nate Hodges of North Fork, Calif., posted the fastest run of the night with a 4.70-second cut to earn the top seed heading into bracket play. Multiple contenders saw their championship hopes come to an abrupt end due to disqualifications, including Hodges, whose semifinal run ended after an incomplete cut, opening the door for a new champion to emerge.

Josh Wilson of Morgantown, W. Va., capitalized on the opportunity with a series of sub-five-second performances, highlighted by a personal-best 4.90-second run in the quarterfinals. Wilson advanced to face Jason Lentz of Diana, W. Va., in the championship matchup, where one final clean cut secured the inaugural U.S. Hot Saw Showdown title. The victory marked the first national title – and the first podium finish – of Wilson's STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® career.

"I've been working toward a moment like this for a long time," said Wilson. "Hot Saw is one of those disciplines where there's no room for error – everything happens in just a few seconds, so you have to trust both your equipment and your preparation. My saw and chain were running great all night, and to come away with my first national title is an incredible feeling."

King Edges Out LaVoie to Reclaim U.S. Women's Championship Title

Saturday's U.S. Women's Championship brought together the nation's top lumberjills for a four-discipline battle that tested speed, precision and consistency across Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck and Underhand Chop. Athletes earned points based on their finish in each discipline, with the highest cumulative point total determining the national champion.

From the opening Stock Saw through the final swings of the Underhand Chop, the leaderboard remained in constant motion as multiple athletes claimed event victories and record-setting performances. Kathryn Witkowski of Hayward, Wis., set a new women's Single Buck world record with a blistering 13.68-second run, while Lauren Bergman of Kalispell, Mont., established a new women's Standing Block Chop national record in 24.42 seconds.

As the competition entered the final discipline, the race for the national title narrowed to defending champion Erin LaVoie of Spokane, Wash., and Martha King of Chadds Ford, Pa. LaVoie closed out the day with the fastest Underhand Chop of the competition, but King's consistency across all four disciplines – including a personal-best 30.13-second Standing Block Chop – proved just enough to keep pace. King secured the U.S. Women's Championship by just over five seconds to earn her third career national title , while Bergman rounded out the podium in third.

"Every athlete in this field is capable of winning on any given day, so you have to stay locked in from the first event through the last," said King. "I knew consistency was going to be the key, and I'm really proud of the way I competed across all four disciplines. To win another U.S. Championship in a competition this close means a lot."

Cogar Returns to the Top with Eighth U.S. Men's Championship

The weekend concluded Sunday with the U.S. Men's Championship, where the nation's top 16 lumberjacks competed across six disciplines: Underhand Chop, Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck, Springboard and Hot Saw.

No athlete was able to separate from the field early as event victories traded hands throughout the afternoon. Matt Cogar of Grafton, W. Va., established himself as an early contender with the fastest Underhand Chop (16.21 seconds) and Standing Block Chop (15.23 seconds), while defending champion Nate Hodges of North Fork, Calif., answered with the quickest Stock Saw (11.37 seconds) and Hot Saw (4.98 seconds). Mark Bouquin of Springville, N.Y., added to the day's standout performances with a national-record 10.68-second Single Buck.

As the competition entered the final disciplines, Cogar maintained his advantage through consistent performances across the board to reclaim the U.S. Men's Championship with a cumulative time of 1:44.75, securing his eighth career national title and finishing just over six seconds ahead of Hodges. Matt Slingerland of Sevierville, Tenn., rounded out the podium after receiving treatment for a cut to his knee sustained immediately after the Single Buck before returning to post the fastest Springboard Chop of the day (41.51 seconds).

"Everybody was putting their best foot forward today, and that's what makes winning this championship so rewarding," said Cogar. "I knew heading into the final discipline that I needed to finish ahead of Matt Slingerland, and that gave me something to chase right to the end. To earn my eighth U.S. Championship after a battle like that is hard-earned, and it's a moment I'll be proud of for a long time."

Team USA Turns Its Attention to Stuttgart

With the U.S. Championships complete, Team USA now turns its attention to the 2026 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship, taking place October 30–31 at Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart, Germany, during STIHL's 100th anniversary year.

Cogar is set to represent the United States in the Individual World Championship on October 31, when the world's top 12 athletes compete across all six disciplines in a three-round elimination format. Team USA will also compete in the Team World Championship on October 30, facing the sport's strongest national teams in a fast-paced relay competition.

U.S. HOT SAW SHOWDOWN FINAL RANKINGS (TOP THREE)

• Josh Wilson
• Jason Lentz
• Nate Hodges

U.S. WOMEN'S PRO CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL RANKINGS (TOP THREE)

• Martha King
• Erin LaVoie
• Lauren Bergman

U.S. MEN'S PRO CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL RANKINGS (TOP THREE)

• Matt Cogar
• Nate Hodges
• Matt Slingerland

Fans can relive the action and livestream all upcoming events on the STIHL website at www.stihlusa.com or the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® YouTube and Facebook pages. Results for all competitions, domestic and international, can be found on the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® database at data.stihl-timbersports.com.

Additional photos from the 2026 U.S. Championships weekend can be downloaded HERE.

About STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is an international lumberjack sports competition series. Its roots lie in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Today the world's best athletes compete in national and international events featuring three axe disciplines and three sawing disciplines. Springboard Chop, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop are classic axe disciplines; Single Buck (single-man cross-cut saw), Stock Saw (STIHL MS 661 chainsaw) and Hot Saw (tuned, customized chainsaw with up to 80 horsepower) are sawing disciplines. Athletes compete against both each other and the clock. For more information on the sport, the tools and the wood management please visit: www.stihl-timbersports.com.

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