NEW HAVEN — The competitive juices were flowing in the Show Tent at the fairgrounds this past Friday night as 161 entrants paired off, grasped hands and wrestled.
Athletes from four states — Vermont, New York, Maine and Massachusetts — and Canada contended in the annual Addison County Fair and Field Days armwrestling competition.
Tournament Director Bill Sinks, backed up by Jennifer Devoid, Jen Fitzsimmons and Kayla Jackson running the brackets, ran a tight tournament. Sinks was joined by George Sheldrick on referee duties.
The women’s tournament saw a dominant performance from return champion Jessalynn Carosella, who is known as “Gun Show.” The New Yorker proved worthy of the nickname, winning both the right and left-handed titles in both the 0-143-pound class and the 144-pound-and-up class.
The men’s bracket was more balanced with four grapplers claiming two titles apiece. One Canadian import not slowed down by tariffs was Chris Gobby, who prevailed in both the right-handed and left-handed 155-165-pound classes.
Two New Yorkers claimed both right and left wins in their classes: Ray Calhoun at 177-187, and Jake Fesko at 199-220. And Adam Barup of Vermont won big in the heavyweight division taking home both the left and right trophies.
The full results were:
YOUTH RESULTS
(Except where noted, all of the kids were from Vermont.)
BOYS & GIRLS COMBINED
Age 0-5: 1st Griffin Sheldrick, 2nd Tucker Whalen, 3rd Carter Buzzell.
 
GRIFFIN SHELDRICK, RIGHT, takes down Carter Buzzell on his way to winning the five-and-under tournament during Friday’s armwrestling competition at Field Days. Buzzell took second place.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
BOYS
6-7: 1st Greyson VanderWey, 2nd Tucker Sheldrick, 3rd Camden Buzzell.
8: 1st Kaiden LeCompte, 2nd Trevor Wright, 3rd Randy Cameron.
9: 1s
t Kihl Kelly (N.Y.), 2nd Alec Roussin (CAN), 3rd Carter Gosselin.
10: 1st Samuel Luis, 2nd Spencer Sheldon, 3rd no entry.
11: 1st Joseph Bergevin, 2nd Matteo Roussin (CAN), 3rd Isaac Preston.
12: 1st Jadin Brown, 2nd Timothy Whitney Jr., 3rd Evan Rankowski.
13: 1st Everett Cassavaugh (N.Y.), 2nd Colby Butler, 3rd Jacob Aunchman.
14: no entries
15: 1. Kalob Webber (N.Y.)
16: no entries
GIRLS
6-7: 1st Elizabeth Burroughs (N.Y.), 2nd Alice Gaiotti, 3rd Eliza Myrick.
8-9: 1st Maggie Prong, 2nd Jocelyn Foster, 3rd McKenna Whitney.
10-11: 1st Ava Mullin, 2nd Navayah Adams (N.Y.), 3rd Hannah Larrow.
12-13: 1st Kaylie Larrow, 2nd Elizabeth Munger, 3rd Josalyn Sheldrick.
14: no entries
15-16: 1. Rachael Fitzsimmons.
TUCKER SHELDRICK, RIGHT, battles with eventual six- and seven-year-old boys winner Greyson VanderWey during armwrestling at Field Days Friday. Sheldrick took second place.
Independent photo/Trent Campbell
ADULT RESULTS
WOMEN’S RIGHT
0-143: 1st Jessalynn Carosella (N.Y.), 2nd Kayla Jackson (Vt.), 3rd Nancy Nally (N.Y.).
144-plus: 1st Jessalynn Carosella (N.Y.), 2nd Alison Lussier (Vt.), 3rd Kristin Ketcham (Vt.).
MEN’S RIGHT
0-143: 1st Ben Dwyer (N.Y.), 2nd Jeremey Meservey (Me.), 3rd Kalob Webber.
144-154: 1st Norm Devio (Mass.), 2nd Kris Mikels (N.Y.), 3rd Jeremy Meservey (Maine).
155-165: 1st Chris Gobby (CAN), 2nd Jacob Steadman (Vt.), 3rd Jermy Meservey (Maine).
166-176: 1st Ken McKinny (N.Y.), 2nd Mike Morgan (Vt.), 3rd Dale Turgeon (Vt.).
177-187: 1st Ray Calhoun (N.Y.), 2nd Phil Warner (N.Y.), 3rd Tyler Whitney (Vt.).
188-198: 1st George Sheldrick (Vt.), 2nd Shawn Webber (N.Y.), 3rd Jeff Garrow (N.Y.).
199-220: 1st Jake Fesko (N.Y.), 2nd Shawn Webber (N.Y.), 3rd Tony Niemo (Vt.).
221-plus: 1st Adam Barup (Vt.), 2nd John Jackson (Vt.), 3rd George Sheldrick (Vt.).
WOMEN’S LEFT
0-143: 1st Jessalynn Carosella (N.Y.), 2nd Nancy Nally (N.Y.), 3rd Rachael Fitzsimmons (Vt.).
144-plus: 1st Jessalynn Carosella (N.Y.), 2nd Kristin Ketcham (Vt.), 3rd no entry.
MEN’S LEFT
0-154: 1st Jeremy Meservey (Me.), 2nd Kris Mikels (N.Y.), 3rd Ben Dwyer (N.Y.).
155-176: 1st Chris Gobby(CAN), 2nd Jeremy Meservey (Maine), 3rd Jacob Steadman (Vt.).
177-198: 1st Ray Calhoun (N.Y.), 2nd Shawn Webber (N.Y.), 3rd George Sheldrick (Vt.).
199-220: 1st Jake Fesko (N.Y.), 2nd Tony Niemo (Vt.), 3rd Mike Charland (N.Y.).
221-plus: 1st Adam Barup (Vt.),2nd John Jackson (Vt.), 3rd Steve Marcoux (Vt.).