NEW HAVEN — A good crowd once again packed the main show tent at Addison County Fair and Field Days for the Friday evening armwrestling competition, which in its 31st year drew 126 adults and 127 youths to test their strength and skill.
Organizer Karen Brisson, a former U.S. and world champion who started helping her father Armond Brisson run the event 31 years ago, said the number of competitors and the size of the crowd for the popular event roughly equaled 2009’s totals.
Once again, she said, the younger armwrestlers created the most excitement and noise among the fans.
“For the kids, it’s just incredible. It’s just unreal. For the adults, it’s good, too,” said Brisson, who this year received organizing help from Patrick Coyle.
Repeat adult winners from 2009 included some familiar names to those who follow Field Days armwrestling: Greg Sharon, who was making his 20th consecutive appearance at the event; Jessalyn Gillett; Frank Hirst; and George Sheldrick, who this year was fresh off a fifth-place finish at the national armwrestling tournament.
Sheldrick also won the fair’s Armond Brisson Male Armwrestling Award, which Karen Brisson said is given for sportsmanship, strong performance at the event, and commitment to the sport at Field Days and in out-of-state competitions.
Winning the Armond Brisson Female Armwrestling Award was Jen Sheldrick, George Sheldrick’s wife, who finished third in the under-143-pound women’s competition.
Repeat youth champions were Nicky Niemo, Jacob Trautwein and Daniel Pickering.
For the first time, organizers also handed out an Armond Brisson Youth Armwrestling Award. Karen Brisson said it will be given to a competitor in his or her last year of eligibility who has been a faithful and successful participant. The initial winner was Addison’s Geoffrey Grant, who on Friday finished second in the 16-year-old boys’ event and has competed since he was a preschooler.
The top three finishers in each category were:
Men’s Right Under-143 Pounds
1. Anthony Tracy
2. Mitchell Pickering
3. Josh Baldwin
Men’s Right 144-154
1. Kris Mikels
2. Mark Viera
3. Travis Wilson
Men’s Right 155-165
1. Kris Mikels
2. Glenn Tupper
3. Eugene Sheldrick
Men’s Right 166-176
1. Greg Sharon
2. Brayton Gillett
3. Tyler Whitney
Men’s Right 177-187
1. George Sheldrick
2. Scott Latella
3. Malcolm Tashjian
Men’s Right 188-198
1. Kevin Siska
2. George Sheldrick
3. Tony Niemo
Men’s Right 199-220
1. Frank Hirst
2. Kevin Siska
3. Willy Smits
Men’s Right 221-Plus
1. Tim Bresnan
2. Bill Sinks
3. Cory Bresnan
Women’s Right Under-143 lbs.
1. Kristin Ketcham
2. Jessalyn Gillett
3. Jen Sheldrick
Women’s Right 144-Plus
1. Jessalyn Gillett
2. Kristin Ketcham
3. Bethany Hallock
Men’s Left 0-154
1. Mark Viera
2. Benji Dwyer
3. Kris Mikels
Men’s Left 155-176
1. Greg Sharon
2. Brayton Gillett
3. Kris Mikels
Men’s Left 177-198
1. Malcolm Tashjian
2. Tony Niemo
3. Kevin Siska
Men’s Left 199-220
1. Frank Hirst
2. Kevin Siska
3. Tony Niemo
Men’s Left 221-Plus
1. Frank Hirst
2. Brian Ketcham
3. Cory Bresnan
Five And Under Boys & Girls
1. Willem Berry
2. Malcolm Tashjian
3. Maisen LaPrise
6 & 7 Boys & Girls
1. Avery Gale
2. Hunter Gorton
3. Taylor Stearns
8-Year-Old Boys
1. Tallon Real
2. Lucas Farrell
3. Hunter Gale
8 & 9 Girls
1. Kacee Hirst
2. Mimi Mayor
3. Emily Covey
9-Year-Old Boys
1. Nicky Niemo
2. Josh Trautwein
3. Douglas Coburn
10-11 Girls
1. Kacee Hirst
2. Hannah Forbes
3. Brooke Raiche
10-Year-Old Boys
1. Tyler Hotte
2. Jacob Gorton
3. Matt Snow
11 & 12 Boys
1. Daniel Pickering
2. Matthew Mullin
3. Paxton Taube
12-13 Girls
1. Ashley Taube
2. Jordan Hubbell
3. Allison Sargent
13-Year-Old Boys
1. Jacob Trautwein
2. Alex Barns
3. Jonathon Genova
14-Year-Old Girls
1. Morgan Raiche
2. Sarah Barker
3. Taylor Raiche
14-Year-Old Boys
1. Austin Lafayette
2. Jordan Grant
3. Joseph Epler
15-Year-Old Boys
1. Trevor Young
2. Riley Stalker
3. Dylan Ryan
15 & 16 Girls
1. Alison Lussier
2. Jessi Waterman
3. Hunter Pedro
16-Year-Old Boys
1. Cory Bresnan
2. Geoffrey Grant
3. Michael Brouillard