THE TEAMS

Introducing

Ohio
Ohio

Ben Henderson

Ohio

Andrew Schneider

Ohio

Andrew Hendricks

Bodi Bien (C)

  • Bodi Bien // @bodi_bien (Team Captain)
    With over three years of experience in the tree industry, Ben has progressed from having no prior experience in the green industry to now serving as a Crew Leader at Russell Tree Experts. His expertise includes heavy machine operations, large-scale removals, and climbing!

    Ben Henderson // @ben_henderson0
    With four years of experience in the tree industry, Ben has worked extensively in and around the Central Ohio area. His dedication to the job is evident, excelling in all aspects of tree care, including meticulous cleanup and maintenance as you could call him the “Michael Phelps of Raking!”

    Andrew Hendricks
    With five years of experience in the tree care industry, Andrew has developed a strong skill set in various aspects of tree care. His dedication and expertise have led him to pursue new challenges, including preparing to compete in his first professional tree climbing competition, The 2025 Ironwood Games.

    Andrew Schneider // @schneider__man
    Andrew's journey in the tree care industry began with Bartlett Tree Experts in 2019 before joining Russell Tree Experts in 2020. After gaining a foundational understanding of tree climbing, he quickly developed a passion for the field. Now, he is preparing to compete in his first industry-related competition. With confidence in his skills and trust in his teammates, Andrew is ready to take on this new challenge.

Zachary Richards (C)

Patrick Fitch

Maryland
Pennsylvania

Tim Packer

West virginia

Jonathan Foote

Ohio

  • Zachary Richards // @zigzagman.zr(Team Captain)
    Zachary is a contract climber hailing from West Virginia!

    Tim Packer // @pac.attack247
    Tim is, first and foremost, a follower of Christ. He is a devoted husband to his wife, Kylee, and a dedicated father to their four children. Professionally, he is a highly skilled contract climber and a Certified Arborist with TRAQ qualification, Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) certification, and credentialed as a Certified Tree Climber and Crane Operator. His passion for arboriculture extends to all aspects of the field, though climbing remains his greatest passion.

    Patrick Fitch // @tiedyeclimber
    Patrick brings over 20 years of industry experience and currently serves as the lead climber at Viking Tree Service LLC. He earned first place overall in the 2024 New Jersey Tree Climbing Championship (out-of-chapter) and has achieved multiple placements in aerial rescue events, demonstrating both technical skill and a strong commitment to safety.

    Jonathan Foote // @the_industrial_tarzan
    Jonathan is a contract climber and an instructor for Noble Oak Safety and Training, where he specializes in providing expert guidance and instruction in arboriculture and safety practices.

Kentucky
Ohio

Jose Sanchez Mendoza

Fabian Ibarra

Ohio
Ohio

Scott Preston

Selvin Diaz (C)

  • Selvin Diaz (Team Captain)
    Selvin has been working with trees for six years, and it has been an incredible journey. He loves the exhilarating feeling of being high up in the trees. Hearing people admire the work he and his team do reinforces the passion and dedication he brings to the job every day.

    Jose Sanchez Mendoza
    Jose is a skilled climbing arborist from Honduras and an enthusiastic amateur content creator on YouTube. Passionate about his craft, he also has a deep appreciation for high-quality gear and equipment.

    Scott Preston
    Scott is a professional arborist based in Louisville, Kentucky. With seven years of experience in tree work and four years competing in tree climbing events, he brings skill, dedication, and expertise to his craft.

    Fabian Ibarra
    Fabian is an aspiring arborist with eight years of experience. He also has a passion for skateboarding and anime. He enjoys capturing and sharing arboriculture-related content to inspire and educate others.

OHIO
OHIO

Ryan Bumgardner

Cody Purtee

OHIO
Ohio

Kane Hickman

Roger Bumgardner (C)

  • Rodger Bumgardner (Team Captain) // @RodgersTreeService
    Roger, owner of Roger’s Tree Service based in Bellbrook, Ohio, is a certified arborist with a strong commitment to professional tree care. Although highly experienced in the field, this marks his first time participating in a tree climbing competition. He is excited to bring his skills and dedication to this new challenge.

    Ryan Bumgardner // @ryno1461
    Ryan comes from a family with a strong background in logging, rooted in a small logging town. After his father relocated closer to the city, Ryan transitioned into residential tree work. He has a natural aptitude for operating equipment, a skill that has consistently come naturally throughout his career.

    Kane Hickman // @hickman171
    Ryan has approximately eight years of experience in tree work. While this is his first time competing, he is highly motivated, eager to learn, and fully committed to contributing to his team's success.

    Cody Purtee
    Ryan began helping his uncle with tree work as a teenager, working with him on and off over the years. For the past two, going on three, years, he has been consistently involved in the industry and has gained substantial knowledge and experience. Recently, he has started focusing more on the climbing aspect of the business and is committed to continuing his growth and development in the field.

Ohio
Ohio

Tryston Whitmore

Rytz Bowman

OHIO
OHIO

John Wilhelm

Andrew Whitmore (C)

  • Andrew Whitmore (Team Captain)
    Andrew is a tree service owner and operator with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He is a certified ISA Arborist with a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ). Earlier in his career, he competed in one Ohio Tree Climbing Championship (OHTCC), demonstrating his long-standing dedication to the field.

    Tryston Whitmore
    Tryston has over six years of experience in the tree care industry and holds both a Class A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and ISA Arborist certification. While he does not have prior experience in arboriculture competitions, he brings a strong foundation of knowledge and skill to the field.

    John Wilhel
    John is highly skilled in chipping branches — so much so that he’s earned the nickname “The Branch Manager.”

    Rytz Bowman
    Rytz is new to the field of arboriculture and has not yet participated in any tree climbing competitions. With a long-standing background in gardening, Rytz entered the industry driven by a deep passion for environmental stewardship. He is eager to continue learning, recognizing that there is always more to discover, and looks forward to sharing knowledge and experiences with others in the field.

Ohio
Ohio

Pete Cave

Ohio

Johnny Provenzale

Ohio

Brandon Hawk

Harry Carter (C)

  • Harry Carter (Team Captain)
    Harry has been in the tree game since 2015, with 9 years of production climbing under his belt. He’s competed in Jambo four times and in one ISA competition—and now gives back by volunteering at those events. His passion for the work shines through in everything he does. “TREE JAM!”

    Pete Cave
    Pete Cave is self-described as a “Tree Guy.”

    Brandon Hawk
    Brandon has been working in the green industry for nearly 9 years, bringing passion and drive to every project. He thrives alongside like-minded professionals, always eager to learn and grow into the most well-rounded arborist he can be. Inspired daily by his wife, Taylor, and their two sons, Chip and Arbor, Brandon is committed to excellence both on and off the job.

    Johnny Provenzale // @Johnnypro27
    With two decades of experience in the tree care industry and over 15 years as a professional climber, Johnny brings deep expertise and passion to his craft. He has competed in numerous tree climbing competitions, continually pushing his skills to new heights. His enthusiasm for tree work is evident in every climb—it's more than a job; it's a lifelong passion.

OHIO
OHIO

Norman Chan

Brandon Reeder

OHIO

OHIO

Brandon Brewer

Jacob Vaughn (C)

  • Jacob Vaughn (Team Captain)
    Jacob has been participating in tree competitions for the past three years. He is passionate about his work in the tree care industry, finding fulfillment in both continuous learning and the opportunity to teach and support others in the field.

    Norman Chan
    Norman holds a forestry degree from Ohio State University and has nine years of rock climbing experience. He is an ISA Certified Arborist with three years in the arboriculture industry. This will be his very first arboriculture competition.

    Brandon Brewer // @brandon.brew
    Brandon has two years of climbing experience and is looking forward to competing in the Ironwood Games.

    Brandon Reeder
    With five years of industry experience, an ISA certification, and a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, Brandon brings a high level of expertise and professionalism to the field, ready to take on any challenge with confidence and skill.

Ohio
ohio

Justin Thompson

Hudson Baxley

OHIO
OHIO

Blaine Naayers

Cody Gray (C)

  • Cody Gray (Team Captain)
    Cody Gray, a Central Ohio native, brings 13 years of experience in the green industry, including the past nine years with Russell Tree Experts. His deep-rooted expertise and dedication make him a standout professional in the field.

    Justin Thompson
    Justin Thompson, from Eastern Ohio, brings a decade of experience in the green industry and has spent the past two years with Russell Tree Experts. His strong background and passion for the field make him a valuable asset to any team.

    Blaine Naayers
    Blaine began working in the tree care industry in 2023 and started climbing shortly after. In 2025, he earned a crew leader position and now specializes in technical rigging and hazard tree removal, bringing focus and precision to every job.

    Hudson Baxley
    Hudson comes from a family rooted in Forest Management and Utility work in South Alabama and brings nine years of experience in the tree industry. He began his career with a small clearing company, spent three years with Bartlett Tree Experts, and has spent the last four years in the Environmental Division at Russell Tree Experts. With a strong passion for land clearing, Hudson thrives in the dynamic and demanding side of the industry.


OHIO
OHIO

Luke Newell

Andy Braasch

OHIO
Ohio

Dylan McGill

Simon Burkey (C)

  • Simon Burkey (Team Captain)
    Simon has a passion for climbing and loves the thrill of swinging from tree to tree. Outside of arboriculture, he’s an avid soccer fan and enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Amy.

    Luke Newell // @Sbtreeservice
    Luke has been climbing for over a year and is eager to take on the challenge of his first tree climbing competition, bringing fresh energy and a strong commitment to learning and growth.

    Dylan McGill
    Dylan is a skilled lift operator and climber with four years of experience. He’s excited to bring his passion and dedication to the field as he enters his first competition.

    Andy Braasch
    Andy is a climber with enthusiasm for learning and improving his craft. This will be his first competition and he's excited to soak up some knowledge from all the skilled competitors.