Mike Hazel, one of the Northwest's most active contest organizers and officials, shows 2025 Northwest Regionals trophy line reels to the post-contest crowd. In addition to his volunteer work, Mike captured the Competitor of the Year title in 2025. Mark Schluter photo.
Mike Hazel of Mehama Ore., captured the 2025 Northwest CL
Competitor of the Year title by posting Flying Lines
standings points in five of the six competition categories. Hazel
scored points in Aerobatics, Combat, Navy Carrier, Racing and
Speed. He was the top competitor in Carrier and Racing overall
standings.
Hazel's 85 competition points were the most scored by the top
competitor since Bruce Hunt scored 114 points in 2010. Top Stunt
competitor Jerry Eichten of Newberg, Ore., finished second with 48
points and John Thompson of Eugene, Ore., was third with 44
points, including the top spot in Combat.
The annual Competitor of the Year title recognizes the flier who
scored the most points in Northwest control-line competition
standings as compiled by Flying Lines.
The total number of competitors scoring points was down significantly in 2025, with only 35 fliers scoring points, compared with 44 in 2024. Note that the number of people scoring standings points is not the total number of competitors; it is only the number of people placing first through fourth in sanctioned competition.
Twenty-five fliers scored Stunt points, up one from 2024; 10
scored Combat points, eight scored Carrier points; eight scored
Scale points; six scored Racing points; and five scored Speed
points.
Again, these totals reflect only placement, not actual number of competitors. The presence of out-of-region fliers in a contest can result in no points, or fewer points, being scored toward Northwest standings for some events.
The Competitor of the Year recognition has been given since 1980, the second year of Flying Lines newsletter publication. Here is the history, giving the top three finishers each year:
Competitor of the Year, 1980-2025
1980: 1, John Thompson 2, Bill Varner 3, Jim Cameron
1981: Dick Salter, Thompson, Dave Green
1982: Dick Salter, Thompson, Mike Hazel
1983: Green, Thompson, Glenn Salter
1984: Green, Dick Salter, Gary Byerly
1985: Green, John Hall, Mel Lyne
1986: Green, Lyne, Dick Salter
1987: Dick Salter, Glenn Salter, Green
1988: Not available
1989-90: Flying Lines not published
1991: Joe Rice, Rich McConnell, Tom Strom
1992: Rice, Todd Ryan, Hall
1993: Ryan, Rice, McConnell
1994: Ryan, Chris Cox, Nitroholics Racing Team
1995: Ryan, Jeff Rein, Don McClave
1996: Ryan, Stephen Cox, Rick Meadows
1997: Ryan, Paul Gibeault, Stephen Cox
1998: Ryan, Lyne, Dan Rutherford
1999: Ryan, Shawn Parker, Mike Conner
2000: Ryan, Lyne, Scott Riese
2001: Chris Cox, Ryan, Lyne
2002: Jeff Rein, Bruce Hunt, Nils Norling
2003: Dan Rutherford, Keith Varley, Lyne
2004: Rutherford, Paul Walker, Chris Cox
2005: Pat Johnston, Riese, Hunt
2006: Johnston, Hunt, Walker
2007: Johnston, Walker, Rein
2008: Hunt, Walker, Johnston
2009: Rein, Hunt, Robert Smith
2010: Hunt, Rein, Walker
2011: Alan Resinger, Smith, Pete Peterson
2012: Chris Cox, Walker, Smith
2013: Thompson, Walker, Howard Rush
2014: Thompson, Walker, Smith/Buzz Wilson (tie)
2015: Chris Cox/Rush (tie), Dave Royer
2016: Hazel, Smith, Mike Haverly
2017: Thompson, Walker, Mike Rule
2018: Hazel, Chris Cox/Walker (tie)
2019: Russ Hester, Chris Cox,
Walker/Rush/Thompson (tie)
2021: Hazel, Smith, Bob Welch
2022: Rush, Cox, Jerry Eichten
2023: Hazel, Welch, Cox
2024: Leighton Mangels, Thompson, Hester
2025: Hazel, Eichten, Thompson
Current standings are on the NW Standings Page
Below are the final 2025 Competitor of the Year rankings, along with the categories in which points were scored.
1. Mike Hazel — Combat, Carrier, Racing, Speed, Stunt —
85
2. Jerry Eichten — Stunt — 48
3. John Thompson — Combat, Racing, Stunt — 44
4. Mark Schluter — Carrier, Racing, Stunt — 32
5. Leighton Mangels — Racing — 27
6. Randy Ling — Stunt — 23
7. Stan Olzaski — Stunt — 22
8. Chris Cox — Stunt — 20
9. Pat Johnston — Stunt — 17
10. Tim Wescott — Scale, Stunt — 16
11. John Knoppi — Combat, Racing, Speed — 15
Gary Weems — Stunt — 15
13. Ken Burdick — Speed — 14
14. Mike Dukes — Carrier, Stunt — 13
15. Kris Millard — Carrier — 12
16. Doug Powers — Racing, Speed — 11
17. Robert Smith — Combat — 10
18. Jim Cameron — Stunt — 9
Jim McCartney — Carrier, Scale,
Stunt — 9
20. Orin Humphries — Scale — 8
21. Bob Welch — Stunt — 7
Slav Malovan — Combat — 7
Walter Hicks — Stunt — 7
24. Gene Pape — Combat — 4
Gary Harris — Combat — 4
Chuck Jenks — Stunt — 4
27. Jim Schneider — Carrier — 3
Terrance Bardue — Combat — 3
29. Jess Walls — Stunt — 2
Niels Madsen — Combat — 2
Geral Godfrey — Scale — 2
Lynette Lickley — Stunt — 2
Russ Hester — Combat — 1
Scott Newkirk — Speed — 1
Mel Rogers — Speed — 1
Flying Lines keeps track of standings in all AMA rulebook and Northwest official events, in all Northwest sanctioned contests.
This page was
updated Dec. 28, 2025