Anthony Juser competes in the underhand chop for the West Virginia University Woodsmen Team at a recent competition.
BY KEVIN WOODRUFF
Elk Lake graduate Anthony Juser is taking his passion for the outdoors, and competing as a part of the Woodsmen Team at West Virginia University.
Juser, 20, of Lawton, a sophomore at West Virginia, is in his second year competing for the Woodsmen Team.
The team competes in competitions in the mid-Atlantic region, having traveled recently to Virginia Tech and Twin Falls to compete.
Juser competes in the underhand chop and the “Jack and Jill” crosscut, while the team as a whole also partakes in axe chopping, block chopping and chainsaw events.
He got started on the team after first gaining in interest in it during his first visit to campus.
“When I first visited the school I saw their trophy case and got interested,” Juser said.
And once he moved to campus for his freshman year decided to sign up.
“All of the people involved are in my major and we all have the same interests,” Juser said. “So they’re a pretty easy group to get along with.”
Elk Lake graduate Anthony Juser, second from left, holds a log steady as his teammates participate in the cross cut.
Most of the events that the team competes in are judged based on the total time it takes to compete.
Juser said that his best time in the “Jack and Jill” crosscut is eight seconds, while in the underhand chop he finishes between one and two minutes.
“It all depends on what kind of wood is used,” Juser said. “I can usually finish the underhand chop between one and two minutes.”
Juser said that he enjoys competing on the Woodsmen Team because of his competitive nature.
“It’s nice to have something competitive to do,” Juser said. “It’s the type of person I am. I like to compete.”
And given his background in wrestling at Elk Lake where he topped 100 wins in his career it’s no wonder.
“It’s tough to break into NCAA Division I wrestling,” Just said. But, my background in wrestling definitely helps. This sport uses a lot of the same muscles.”
West Virginia will hold a home meet on April 9, where five or six other teams will travel to compete.
Juser said that the better teams in the mid-Atlantic region go to what is called the Collegiate Steel Series, where they can battle it out for a championship.
“The steel series is really tough to get into,” Juser said.
Juser is in his second year at the Davis College of Agriculture and hopes once he graduates to get a job as a procurement forester.
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