FRYEBURG — Despite competing in Ohio the day before and driving all night to get to Fryeburg Fair, Nancy Zalewski and Mike Sullivan still managed to set new records at the 42nd annual Saco Valley Woodsmen’s Field Day.

Zalewski, who earned her sixth straight women’s championship, set a record in the women’s underhand chop and joined with Sullivan to set a record in the Jack & Jill crosscut.

“We drove all night to get to Fryeburg because we can’t miss this show,” an enthusiastic Zalewski said Monday morning as the event was about to begin.

“She did the hard part,” said Sullivan, who has held the woodsman’s championship here numerous times. “She started driving about 12:30 and I didn’t come to until we were almost here about quarter of six.”

She is from Plymouth, Wis., and he from Winsted, Conn. They often travel together to competitions around the country.

For the rest of the day’s competition, 110 competed setting a total of five records. The day concluded with drama in the master’s axe throw when longtime competitors and crowd favorites Dave Geer and Jim Colbert, both of Connecticut, tied at 22 out of 25. The standing-room-only crowd of nearly 5,000 hung on every toss with the first throw-off ending in another 22-all tie. After another series of tosses, Geer emerged with a one-point win to the delight of the crowd.

Fittingly, Colbert finished the day as master’s champion. Champion woodsman was Jerry Gingras of Errol, N.H., champion logger was Heath Taylor of Cornish and champion trucker was Brian Winn of Effingham, N.H.

Additional records were set in the master’s log roll, men’s bucksaw and grapple skidder. In addition to her record in winning the underhand chop, Zalewski also won the women’s bucksaw, the women’s crosscut and tied for second in the axe throw.

Sullivan finished second in the men’s underhand chop, tied for second in the axe throw, finished third in the springboard as well as third in the men’s crosscut with Rick Geer.

Masters Axe Throw

Dave Geer of Jewett City, CT, 22 (throw-off)

Master’s Bucksaw

Don Quigley of Lee, NH, 8.41. secs.

Master’s Underhand Chop

Jim Colbert of Winsted, CT, 22.17 secs.

Master’s Crosscut

Jim Colbert and Don Quigley, 7.10 secs.

Master’s Log Roll

Gib Engel of Brooklyn, CT and George Mattern of Baltic, CT, 16.935 secs.

Men’s Bucksawing (Record)

Don Lambert of St. Gilles, Que., 4.83 secs.

Men’s Underhand Chop

Mike Eash of Coatesville, PA, 15.59

Men’s Axe Throw

Dave Kilson of Stratford, NH, 23

Open Chainsaw

Jerry Gingras of Errol, NH, 3.405

Men’s Crosscut

Jerry Gingras and Mike Eash, 5.15 secs

Log Roll

Herry Gingras and Mike Eash, 13.695 secs,

Springboard

Paul Pfenninger of Scottsville NY, 52.83 secs.

Tree Felling

Mario Bourque of Memramcook, NB, Canada, direct hit, 24.60 secs.

Women’s Bucksaw

Nancy Zalewski of Plymouth, WI, 10.815 secs.

Women’s Underhand Chop (Record)

Nancy Zalewski, 19.485

Women’s Axe Throw

Laurette Russell of New Gloucester, 17.

Women’s Crosscut

Nancy Zalewski and Mary Beth Dooley of Waterport, NY, 9.02 secs

Stock Chainsaw

Jerry Gingras, 4.11 secs

Jack and Jill Crosscut (Record)

Mike Sullivan of Winsted, CT and Nancy Zalewski, 5.655 secs.

Water Boiling

Mario Bourque, 3:05.74.

Cable Skidder

Bruce Cox of Peru, 1:02.2

Grapple Skidder (Record)

Brad Taylor of Baldwin, 57.24 secs.

Log Loading

Brian Winn of Effingham, NH, 2:28.56

Pulp Loading

Dale Mills of Parsonsfield, 4:20.08

Hydraulic Loader

Brian Winn, 5:14.96

Jerry Gingras of Errol, N.H., won the
Open Chain Saw event Monday, also called the Super Saw competition, in 3.405 secs. He was also
the Champion Woodsman of the event.

Calvin Willard of Barnet, Vt., finished fourth in the Springboard Chop event on Monday.

Andy Schreiner of Fulton, N.Y., competes in the Open Chain Saw event on Monday. He finished second in 3.735 seconds. 

Fryeburg Fair President Roy Andrews presented Gloria Hadley of West Paris with special award commemorating her 30 years of showing at the fair. Hadley was competing in the Ladies Pony Cart Class first thing Tuesday morning.

Dave Geer of Jewett City, Conn., won the master’s axe throw at the Fryeburg Fair on Monday during the annual Woodsmen’s Day competition. Following two throw-offs with Jim Colbert of Winsted, Conn., at left clapping, Geer prevailed. With Geer is Nels Liljedahl, who runs the axe throw competition.