Action in the boys’ U17 log rolling competition is always fast and furious, and this year was no exception, at the Minnesota State log rolling championships held during Fisherman’s Picnic. Running like the wind, North Shore Roller Dominic Wilson (blond) takes a fall over one of his tough competitors. Staff photos/Brian Larsen
The top log rollers in the world came to the 2018 Fisherman’s Picnic and put on quite a show for the throngs of people that gathered to watch them compete for $5,000 in prize money, as well as new Husqvarna chainsaws to the men’s and women’s winner.
At stake was also the title of Minnesota State log rolling champion.
2018 women’s world champion Livi Pappadopoulos of Holmen, Wisconsin, proved to be unbeatable, but she did take a fall to runner-up Ellie Davenport, the 2016 women’s world champion from Hudson, Wisconsin.
Pappadopoulos, who will be a senior in high school this fall, last lost a match in 2013 and took only two falls this year, her first as a professional. Always a reliable, crafty roller, Pappadopoulos has added powerlifting to her training regime, and she looked fast and powerful as she controlled most of the action on the logs.
“She could dominate women’s log rolling for the next ten years,” noted Jenny Atkinson, who has a total of eight world titles to her name between boom running and log rolling. Atkinson, now 40, tied for seventh in the 13 women field.
Above: Jenny Atkinson was the oldest pro roller in the field, but she still has some tricks up her sleeve. Here she knocked Ellie Davenport off the log to go up 1-0. Davenport came back to take the match 3-1, however. Left: Eyes on her opponent’s feet, Alexis Plummer, on the right, gets ready to make a move.
Meredith Ingbretson, Hayward, Wisconsin, defeated Onalaska, Wisconsin pro Katie Rick to take third place.
Meanwhile, Anthony Polentini of Oconomowoc, Wis., beat his teammate and training partner Tanner Hallett, the 2018 men’s world champion, in an exciting men’s finals.
Polentini was down one fall and then unexpectedly slipped off the log when there wasn’t much action to go down 2-0 before coming back and tying it up 2-2. Hallett pulled out all of the stops and ran Polentini off the log to take the third and decisive fall and the match.
Jamie Fischer, Stillwater, Minn., the 2017 world men’s champion, defeated a game Connor Birdsong, Onalaska, Wis. to take third place.
Minnesota State Amateur champions crowned
North Shore Roller Garrett Plummer kept his great season going by taking the U7 Coed title.
Ellis Priest of Minneapolis beat a game, Sullivan Johnson of Hayward, Wisconsin, to win the boys’ U10 title while his brother, Jasper Priest took the U13 boys’ championship over Hunter Lyons.
In a never-ending battle between the two Dominicks, Dominick Magnone beat North Shore Roller Dominic Wilson in a very competitive U17 boys’ title match.
Libby Magnone of Wauconda, Illinois, beat Aini Anderson to take the U10 girls’ title with North Shore Roller Alexis Plummer finishing third.
Rising star North Shore Roller Alley Duclos kept her undefeated season going with a victory over Caroline Horton in the U13 girls’ field. Taylor Everson tied for fifth place.
Keeping in tradition with her brother and sister, Emma Magnone defeated Claire Keech to take the girls’ U17 championship. North Shore Rollers’ Paige Everson and Bianca Zimmer took fourth and fifth place.
All told there were 37 amateurs and 22 professional log rollers at this year’s Fisherman’s Picnic competition. And short of the Hayward Lumberjack Sports world championships, this was probably the most exceptional field of athletes that will be assembled anywhere else for 2018.
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