A Winning Weekend for FLCC Woodsmen

By Lenore Friend

CANANDAIGUA – Finger Lakes Community College celebrated its woodsmen tradition over the weekend with another strong showing by its collegiate and professional competitors, capped by a ceremony to honor the man who started it all in 1974: retired professor and coach Marty Dodge.

The FLCC men's team won its 19th championship title in the 67th Northeast Collegiate Woodsmen Conclave, a competition among 32 teams representing 14 colleges and universities in the northeastern United States and hosted by FLCC April 19 and 20.

The FLCC women's team came a close second after winner Colby College. FLCC's jack-and-jill team, in which both men and women compete, also took second behind leader Alfred State. "The coaching staff could not be more proud of each of our student athletes," said Ryan Staychock, head coach of the FLCC woodsmen. "I had a good feeling about our men's team when they scheduled additional practices for themselves over the last few weeks. They truly earned the right to wear the title of champions." The mood at the college over the weekend was further buoyed when alumnus David Jewett of Pittsford won the Stihl Timbersports Series qualifier, a professional competition also held at the college Friday. Jewett will go on to the professional championships in Tennesee in June. Then, in high spirits, the FLCC team, alumni and supporters feted the legacy of longtime former coach Marty Dodge with a reception and ceremony on Saturday night. The woodsmen practice field was named the Marty Dodge Woodsmen Field and a sign unveiled following remarks from Staychock, Jewett, Professor Bruce Gilman, FLCC President Barbara Risser and Athletic Director Bob Lowden. Dodge retired as professor and head woodsmen coach in 2011 but continues to assist the team and root on students and alumni. He, too, toasted FLCC's successful conclave competitors for their individual and team wins. Men's team members Matthew Baird of Canandaigua, Trevor Bliss of Walworth, Jonathan Davis of Livingston Manor, Anthony Robarge of Middlesex, Derek Tuttle of South Dayton, and Benjamin Williams of Lyons won three of five team events: bow sawing, cross-cut, and packboard to contribute to their 1,711 points out of a possible 1,900. Baird won singles birling; Robarge won the singles pole climb and doubles-event portage canoeing with teammate Tuttle. The FLCC women's team earned a hard-fought second place with 1,462 points, just 43 points behind Colby College and 108 points ahead of the third-place team from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. FLCC women won team pulp toss. Alaina Bailey of Webster won the singles event pole climb and doubles canoe event with Kelby Harvey of Canaseraga. Courtney Switzer of Bellona took the single buck event. Sierra Eiffert of Cohocton won the triples event-quarter splitting along with Bailey and Harvey. Kelsey Hamilton of Palmyra and Morgan Martin of Naples took first in portage canoeing. Kevin Moore of Canandaigua captained the FLCC jack-and-jill team to 1,504 points, just 23 points behind Alfred State and 93 points ahead of Paul Smith's. The FLCC jack-and-jills won team pulp toss. Other team highlights include Julia Lampman of Rushville winning single buck, Joseph Soccio of Weedsport taking first in the pole climb, Brendaya Parsons of Penn Yan and Paige Piccione of Canandaigua winning in doubles fire build, Ben Robinson of Cohocton and Soccio taking first in doubles canoeing, and Moore and Parsons' win in doubles canoeing. The next major woodsmen event is the FLCC Logging Sports Competition, the annual home meet to be held in fall 2013 on the main campus.