NEW HAVEN — When the strongest (and the most cunning) male and female athlete step up to the padded table in the Show Tent at the Addison County Fair and Field Days each August, you know there is going to be a lot of straining, a fair amount of sweating and sometimes a little bit of crowing when one competitor drives another competitor’s wrist to the table.
That’s what was on display at the annual Field Days armwrestling competition this past Friday when a couple of seasoned veterans took multiple titles in the adult matches and the number of youths taking part surged.
At the 2016 Addison County Fair and Field Days it was the adult class in the annual armwrestling competition that saw a rise in contestants; this past Friday it was the children’s class that saw an increase in contestants.
Wrestlers 16 years old and younger accounted for 92 competitors this year, compared with 83 in 2016 and 73 the year before that.
The number of adult contenders slid this year to 124 from a very high 166 last year.
But, with well over 200 wrestlers in the tent, you can be sure this competition was a rocking time.
Friday’s multiple-event winners included Rob Vigeant, who won four titles (Men’s Right 199 pounds-220 pounds and 221 pounds and up, and Men’s Left 199-220 and 221 and up), and Jessalyn Carosella, who claimed all four women’s crowns (Women’s Right and Left, 0-143 and 144 and up).
Local favorite George Sheldrick of Salisbury won the Men’s Right 188-198 trophy. Jeremy Messervy, who prevailed in two classes last year, this year won only the Men’s Right 0-143 title.
The top three finishers in each youth age group or adult weight class were:
YOUTH RESULTS
•  Boys & Girls 5-and-under: 1. Teagan Wilber; 2. Camille Plouffe; 3. Robbie Vigeant.
•  Boys 6 & 7: 1. Kaiden LeCompte; 2. Lucas Whitney; 3. Henry Calhoun.
•  Girls 6 & 7: 1. McKenna Whitney; 2. Ava Wood; 3. Lydia Tupper.
•  Boys 8: 1. Kihl Kelly; 2. Seaver Cadoret; 3. Carter Gosselin.
•  Boys 9: 1. Samuel Ivis; 2. Cole Campbell; 3. Spencer Sheldon.
•  Girls 8 & 9: 1. Gabrielle Vigeant; 2. Amelia Whitney; 3. Alexis Whitney.
•  Boys 10: 1. Dylan Bushey; 2. Joseph Bergevin; 3. Isaac Preston.
•  Boys 11: 1. Timothy Whitney Jr.; 2. Kyland Emmons; 3. Mason Tracy.
•  Girls 10 & 11: 1. Heather Dwire; 2. Abigail Leighty; 3. Nevaya Adams.
•  Boys 12 & 13: 1. Colby Butler; 2. Everett Casseravan; 3. Caleb Whitney.
•  Girls 12 & 13: 1. Madison Graves; 2. Shelby Paquin; 3. Calista Turgeon.
•  Boys 14 & 15: 1. Jack Koval; 2. Evan Russell; 3. Kalob Webber.
•  Girls 14 & 15 & 16: 1. Madison Duprey; 2. Rachael Fitzsimmons; 3. Livia Bernhardt.
•  Boys 16: 1. Jordan Allen; 2. Joseph Turgeon.
ADULT RESULTS
•  Men’s Right 0-143: 1. Jeremy Messervy; 2. Andy Macgarret; 3. Jeremy Kelly.
•  Men’s Right 144-154: 1. Kris Mikels; 2. Jeremy Messervy; 3. Ron Singley.
•  Men’s Right 155-165: 1. Chris Gobby; 2. Kris Mikels; 3. Austin Gagne.
•  Men’s Right 166-176: 1. Ken McKinney; 2. Dan Hall; 3. Ray Calhoun.
•  Men’s Right 177-187: 1. Tyler Latulippe; 2. James Mason; 3. Ron Sterns.
•  Men’s Right 188-198: 1. George Sheldrick; 2. Ben Tromblee; 3. Shawn Webber.
•  Men’s Right 199-220: 1. Rob Vigeant; 2. George Sheldrick; 3. John Waldvogal.
•  Men’s Right 221 & Up: 1. Rob Vigeant; 2. John Jackson; 3. Austin Dolan.
•  Women’s Right 0-143: 1. Jessalyn Carosella; 2. Kayla Jackson; 3. Brooke Tupper.
•  Women’s Right 144 & Up: 1. Jessalyn Carosella; 2. Deanna Whalen; 3. Heather Shacket.
•  Men’s Left 0-154: 1. Kris Mikels; 2. Jeremy Messervy; 3. Ron Singley.
•  Men’s Left 155-176: 1. Dan Hall; 2. Austin Gagne; 3. Robbie Ketcham.
•  Men’s Left 177-198: 1. Eric Roussin; 2. George Sheldrick; 3. Marc Gervais.
•  Men’s Left 199-220: 1. Rob Vigeant; 2. Jon Waldvogal; 3. Shawn Webber.
•  Men’s Left 221 & Up: 1. Rob Vigeant; 2. Jean Lessard; 3. Eric Preston.
•  Women’s Left 0-143: 1. Jessalyn Carosella; 2. Kayla Jackson; 3. Nancy Nally.
•  Women’s Left 144 & Up: 1. Jessalyn Carosella; 2. Christina Sheldrick.