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ARCATA, Calif. - Flawless forestry skills earned Oregon State University's logging sports team several top finishes at a regional logging contest here.

Ax throwing, tree climbing, sawing, log rolling and plant identification are some of the skills the OSU students sharpened for the Association of Western Forestry Clubs Regional Meet at Humboldt State University.

"We did very well and had some people who did well individually, but we won't know results of the team competition until later (in the month) when all the scores are tabulated," said Mike Shaw, a logging team member.

Shaw, a OSU post-baccalaureate in forestry from Oregon City, and Callen Richert, an OSU sophomore in forestry from Corvallis, were top point-scorers for the meet, Shaw said. In addition Richert took first in choke-setting.

Shaw joined with teammate Missy Mekkers, a senior in forestry from McMinnville, to win first in pulp throwing.

"In pulp throwing, what you're doing is throwing firewood," Shaw said. "It's three-foot chunks of alder."

Christie Reichle, a senior in forestry from Grants Pass, took first in women's single-buck, crosscut competition.

Other winners include: Mekkers and Reichle, second in women's double-buck; LeRoy Adams, senior in forestry from Wapato, Wash., fourth in wood identification; Shaw and Adams, third in men's double-buck; Adams and Mekkers, fourth in Jack-and-Jill double-buck; Dave Boyd, master's candidate in forestry from Longview, Wash., third in boom run; Richert, fourth in men's climbing; Mekkers, fourth in women's climbing.

The OSU team is the only logging sports team in Oregon. The annual meet pitted OSU against teams from Montana, Idaho, Colorado, California and Nevada.