SIU Carbondale senior and timber sports member Anthony Lape participates in the 69th Midwest Forestry Conclave hosted by SIU at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center. (Photo provided)
April 24, 2026
SIU timber sports team gets their chops in to win Midwest Foresters Conclave
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale students recently dominated the field to earn the title at the 69th Midwest Foresters Conclave at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center.
For the SIU students competing, the April 11 event wasn’t about the cash prize that came with winning, but in continuing to rebuild a tradition. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an international outdoor equipment company sponsored the event, with more than dozen teams participating and hosting the conclave on a rotating basis. For the past few years, the SIU Forestry Club’s timber sports team hosted mini conclaves to keep a connection with regional teams but felt the urge to do something more.
“Our team came together and made the plan to bring back the official Midwest Foresters Conclave that once was so huge,” said Lana Derossett, a senior majoring in forestry. “Knowing we are one of the first timber sports teams to bounce back, we knew that this was the prime opportunity to host.”
This year, six teams competed along with SIU — including Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Missouri State University, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the University of Missouri.
The conclave included more than a dozen events, such as tree identification, axe throw, log roll, and underhand chop.
Practice makes perfect
Team members practiced a minimum of twice a week since fall while planning the return of this massive event. Not only is this time consuming, but it’s physically demanding as some competitions require using tools like saws or axes in a repetitive motion or picking up a section of a tree trunk and throwing it as far as possible.
“My team put our entire hearts and souls, and blood, sweat, and tears into this event, and we were so excited to host all of the schools,” said Derossett, who is the registered student organization’s club president.
The team won first place in multiple competitions, including Jack and Jill double-bucksaw, Jack and Jack double bucksaw, Jill and Jill double bucksaw, men's single bucksaw, woman's underhand chop, men's underhand speed chop, women's bolt throw, men's bolt throw and women's axe throw. SIU tied for first in two events – wood identification and men's axe throw.
However, the goal wasn’t to win, but to work toward bringing the Midwest Conclave back to its former glory.
“We wanted to host this conclave because we love getting together with other schools, learning new techniques, and bringing back a tradition,” Derossett said.
Giving up the green
Before the conclave took place, the team made a pact, that if they finished among the top three overall teams, they would forfeit the prize money to the team finishing behind them. In winning the title, this act of kindness created a chain reaction.
“In this case, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point got second place, so they took home the first-place cash prize,” Derossett said. “Third place got the second-place prize and fourth place got the third-place prize.”
Over the past 15 years, Charles Ruffner has served as the faculty adviser for the SIU Forestry club. He’s proud of this year’s accomplishment but not surprised. Ruffner believes success stems from a long line of Salukis who paved the way by remaining committed to the team through the highs and lows.
“Our team's win is a culmination of their predecessors' efforts to maintain and uphold the strong traditions of our profession and brings great credit upon the School of Forestry and Horticulture in the College of Agricultural, Life and Physical Sciences here at Southern Illinois University,” said Ruffner, who is also the director for the University Honors Program. “I and the other faculty are justifiably impressed with and proud of this cohort of students and their achievements.”
Planting new seeds
With this year’s conclave in the books and hosting responsibilities shifted to another university, the team is now focusing their efforts on rebuilding its numbers and skillset. While the team is mostly made up of forestry students, it’s open to all majors on the SIU campus, and Ruffner says, it fosters team dynamics, sportsperson ship, and the skills for members to conduct themselves collegially.
“We have had folks from automotive technology, secondary education, dental hygiene, and numerous other programs,” he added. “The conclave has traditions in forestry and frontier living which interest folks from across life's rich pageant.”