CELEBRATION, Fla. — Twice in earlier rounds, Nancy Zalewski gave her opponents hope, only to take it away with a last-minute burst of dominance.

But in Sunday's Women's Endurance final at ESPN's Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge, seventh seed Zalewski ran into the wrong opponent at the wrong time.

	Sheree Taylor saws her way to the Women's Endurance gold medal.

Sheree Taylor, the 51-year-old defending champion, easily defeated Zalewski in the final round. It was just 15 minutes after Zalewski, of Plymouth, Wis., took her semifinal victory, leaving little time for rest before facing Taylor, who won her fourth gold medal in the discipline.

"I knew running two races in 15 minutes would kill me," Zalewski said.

The Women's Endurance event at the Games challenges competitors to cut or sever three blocks, using a modified stock saw for the first, an underhand chop for the second and a single buck for the last. The event was held at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

After completing the single buck saw, an exhausted Taylor fell into her husband's arms.

"Really, my winning this race was showing gratitude to those who helped me," said Taylor, of Te Aroha, New Zealand.

Taylor, who won the gold in 2000, 2002 and 2004, won her semifinal match Saturday night right before rain postponed the event until Sunday morning. The rest gave her an advantage against Zalewski, who won her semifinal on Sunday morning.

	Peg Engasser took home the bronze medal Sunday.

Taylor, an 18-year timber sports veteran who splits wood for a living, clobbered her opponents throughout the tournament, beating one by nearly a minute.

"Even at the age of 51, you never stop learning," Taylor said. "There's a lot of little things that I've even learned in the last 12 months."

Peg Engasser of Cortland, N.Y., won the bronze with a victory against New Zealander Karmyn Wynyard.

Zalewski defeated Engasser, the third seed, in Sunday's semifinal in the similar style she used to defeat second seed Erin Lavoie of Spokane, Wash. Zalewski fell behind in the first two events, but won by coming back with quick times in the single buck.

When she fell farther behind against Taylor, though, Zalewski knew she wasn't coming back.

"Sheree cuts as fast as I cut," Zalewski said. "I can come from behind on a lot of people, but not on Sheree."

Final standings

1. Sheree Taylor, Te Aroha, New Zealand
2. Nancy Zalewski, Plymouth, Wis.
3. Peg Engasser, Cortland, N.Y.
4. Karmyn Wynyard, Massey, Auckland, New Zealand
5. Erin Lavoie, Spokane, Wash.
6. Penny Halvorson, Alma Center, Wis.
7. Andrea Furber, Santa Rosa, Calif.
8. Mary Dooley, Waterport, N.Y.

The Games will be aired on ESPN and ABC Sports July 13-17, 2005. Click here for the broadcast schedule.