RENO, Nev. — Almost as significant as who will be in Friday's finals of the Women's Endurance competition at the 2003 ESPN Great Outdoor Games is who won't be in the finals.

Sheree Taylor, the two-time gold medallist from Te Aroha, New Zealand, made a stunning exit from the competition in the opening heat of the quarterfinals at Rancho San Rafael Park in Reno on Thursday.

	Peg Engasser of Cortland, N.Y., is in the finals of the Womens Endurance.

Taylor was edged by fellow New Zealander Michele Bolstad of Taumarunui. Bolstad had a time of 1 minute, 26.257 seconds to eliminate Taylor, who had a time of 1:28.025. Taylor's was the second-fastest time of the competition, but not good enough to get her past Bolstad.

Friday's finals, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., will pit Bolstad against Peg Engasser of Cortland, N.Y.

Bolstad (1:38.477) defeated Karmyn Wynard of Aukland, New Zealand (1:49.142) in the semifinals Thursday afternoon, while Engasser (1:40.075) defeated Amanda Beams of Exeter, Tasmania, New Zealand (2:17.142). Wynard and Beams will face off for the bronze medal in a prelude to the gold medal match.

Taylor, who is nominated for an ESPY Award for her gold-medal-winning performance in 2002, had mixed feeling after her quarterfinal loss.

"I'm disappointed for myself, but happy for Michele," said Taylor, who also won the gold medal in 2000 before undergoing four surgeries the next year. "I gave it all I could. I couldn't have done anymore. I think I was just a little slow on my stock saw. That's the way it goes. I can't be too disappointed. I've won it twice. I guess I can't win it every time. Michele has done the work and she deserves it."

Bolstad was elated just to make it through the quarterfinals.

"I would have liked to have gone against anyone but Sheree," she said. "She's so tough. I knew she'd be coming fast in the single buck."

She said she is looking forward to competing for the gold.

"Excited is the word, really," she said. "I'm really pleased. My husband David has really helped me out, at his own expense really, and I'm just excited to have a chance (at the gold)."

Bolstad and Engasser are the two smallest women in the field.

"It just confirms that your technique is what helps you go forward," said Engasser, whose previous best Great Outdoor Games finish was fifth last year.

Competitors in the Women's Endurance first cut two rounds from a 16-inch log with a stock chain saw, advance to an underhand chop station and then back to the log to cut another 16-inch biscuit using a single buck saw.

Bolstad took the lead over Taylor in the chain saw portion and never relinquished it. Taylor came close to catching up on the final cut, but finished about 1.8 seconds behind.

"I just have to move on to the next competition and forget this one," Taylor said.

In the other quarterfinal matches, Wynard defeated Nancy Zelewski of Plymouth, Wis.; Beams defeated Marry Ann Karp of Newark Valley, N.Y., and Engasser defeated Tina Scheer of Hayward, Wis.