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)

Levi Woodal

West virginia
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.

    Levi Woodal // @_treevi
    Levi has been climbing trees for approximately 12 years and competing for the past four. His passion for both climbing and competition continues to grow. Through competitions, he has had the opportunity to travel extensively across the country.

    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

Anthony Angeletti

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.

    Anthony Angeletti
    [Coming soon]

Alabama
Texas

Brady Paselk

Michael Castle

Oklahoma
Oklahoma

Justin Cantrell

Jesse Taylor (C)

  • Jesse Taylor (Team Captain) // @the_taylored_arborist
    Jesse has been a full-time climber and competitor for over a decade, bringing serious skill and passion to the industry. As the owner of Taylored Arboriculture Services, he also takes on contract climbing jobs and handles everything from hand saws to heavy machinery. No matter the task, Jesse brings energy, expertise, and a love for having a good time.

    Brady Paselk // @bpmustache
    Brady has been running his own business since 2013, bringing years of experience and dedication to the field. After jumping into the competition scene in 2021, he made his first appearance at the ITCC in 2024!

    Justin Cantrell // @j_cantrell133 | tiptoptree33
    With 21 years in the tree industry, Justin got his start raking brush for his dad’s tree service and worked their way up to the canopy. After 12 years of climbing and about 3 years of competing, Justin not only honed serious skills but also built strong connections—meeting all his teammates through the competition scene!

    Michael Castle // @CastleTreeServiceLLC
    Michael burst onto the comp climbing scene in 2021 and has been racking up achievements ever since! As the current ISA Texas Champion and North American Open Masters Champion with around 85 medals under his belt, he's a Certified Arborist with TRAQ credentials, a proud father of four incredible kids, and the owner of Castle's Tree Service LLC for the past 9 years.

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Norman Chan

Brandon Reeder

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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
    [Coming soon]

    Brandon Brewer
    [Coming soon]

    Brandon Reeder
    [Coming soon]