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Timber sports invade PSC campus

Paul Smith’s senior Justin Tamez begins running in the rain after completing the paddle portion of the team portage competition Friday at the Spring Meet in Paul Smiths. Tamez paddled out and around a buoy in Lower St. Regis Lake, then carried the canoe about 100 yards to his teammate Nick Georgelas, who carried it back and completed the same paddling route. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

PAUL SMITHS — The Paul Smith’s College campus was bustling Friday as the first day of regional timber sports action got underway.

About 350 athletes from 14 different colleges were at the college to compete in the 71st annual Spring Meet Conclave, the largest collegiate timber sports competition in the country.

The meet began Friday morning, with athletes competing in team events such as log rolling, wood splitting, chopping and canoe portaging. Axes were swinging and college kids dressed in nothing more than bathing suits and life jackets were in and out of the cold waters of Lower St. Regis Lake.

Paul Smith’s senior Justin Tamez was one such athlete. As a member of the Paul Smith’s woodsmen’s team, he was there to compete in the canoe portage race with teammate Nick Georgelas.

“I’m doing the obstacle pole. I did the triple split (three team members splitting wood as quickly as possible) and then the boom run is what I’m doing tomorrow,” Tamez said after the portage race. “I really like the boom because we don’t get to do it anywhere else, so that’s always fun.”

Natalie Majewski, left, and Emily LaFlame, from the University of Connecticut, team up in the pairs log roll competition Friday at Paul Smith’s College. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

Tamez, who hails from Ghent, near Albany, first came into contact with the woodsmen’s team before he came to Paul Smith’s. He said he attended the woodsmen’s school that coach Brett McLeod puts on over the summer, and then tried out as a freshman and made the team. He’s been on it throughout his college career.

Tamez said being a member of the team, though demanding, also helped with his social and academic lives.

“I now do competitions over the summer with the New York Lumberjack Association and I work for Nathan Warfield who is a Stihl pro and he’s my boss now, so it’s opened job opportunities for me,” he said. “Most of my teammates are in my classes, so we have all the same work. So it’s nice to have people who do the same homework as you and I can study with.”

PSC woodsmen’s coach Brett McLeod was hopeful that his teams could win some championships, but said it was a pretty tight race points-wise. The results for Friday’s competition won’t be released until this morning, and individual action continues today at the campus.

In addition to individual titles, there are also men’s, women’s and Jack and Jill team awards.

University of Vermont’s Jake Boudreau makes the chips fly during the first day of the 71st annual Spring Meet at Paul Smith’s College Friday. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

“I think as of right now they’re in first place,” McLeod said of the PSC women, who came into the meet undefeated on the season. “But Colby is right on their heals. It’s always a battle between Colby of Waterville, Maine and Paul Smith’s for the women’s division.”

McLeod would also like to the see the men’s and Jack and Jill (co-ed) teams win, and was holding out hope for a clean sweep of the divisions.

“It’s all really tight because I think the top five teams were all within 20 points, and we’re about 700 points into the day. So it’s a close race,” he said Friday afternoon.

Today’s action includes the Stihl Timbersports northeast qualifier at 2 p.m., and McLeod thinks a couple of his kids have a shot of making it to the national stage.

“We’ve got Jesse Cutting for the men and Emily DeYoung for the women,” he said. “Should be a pretty big time.”

Taylor Dimock of Unity College in Maine takes a swing at the triples split, in which three teammates each split wood in turn as quickly as possible. (Enterprise photo — Justin A. Levine)

Nate Richard, a freshman representing the University of Maine, said the PSC campus was a great place to hold the Spring Meet.

“It’s a great environment,” he said. “It’s very well put together. It’s a lot bigger than you would really think. You come here, and it’s like ‘Wow. Great place.'”

Richard played baseball and hockey in high school in Turner, Maine, but decided to pursue timber sports when he reached the Division I school.

“I’ve always liked doing it; I’ve worked with chainsaws a lot. When I went to U Maine, I didn’t really have much to do, (but) I found this team and it’s really just great to get out there and (have) the camaraderie between us,” he said. “It’s really nice.”

The events kick off today at 8 a.m. at the college’s Forestry Club cabin. Today’s events include axe throwing, log boom and pole climbing. It is free and open to the public, with refreshments and food available.

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