MADISON, Wis. — No matter how you stack it, a win is a win. And that's how it went for Peg Engasser at the Women's Endurance semifinals of the ESPN Great Outdoor Games.

Engasser, the defending gold medalist, at first watched in vain as Erin Lavoie cut, chopped and sawed past her in the Stock Saw, Underhand Chop and Single Buck elements of the competition.

But the gallant effort of the 22-year-old Lavoie was negated after the judges determined she failed to make a full, clean cut in the Stock Saw exercise, thereby eliminating the Spokane, Wash., lumberjack from the gold-medal round.

Engasser, 34, posted a semifinals best time of 1:23:81 before a capacity crowd on hand for the nighttime event. The forester by trade will go against Sheree Taylor in the medal round on Saturday. Taylor, at age 50, is the oldest female in the Women's Endurance competition and also a Great Outdoor Games veteran like her opponent.

"We are very competitive and know each others strengths and weaknesses," said Taylor, winner of two golds and one silver since first competing in the 2000 Great Outdoor Games and each event since.

Engasser is no stranger to the medal stand, either, having struck gold and silver in the Women's Endurance and Team Relay events, respectively. Her only glitch in the semifinals was in the Single Buck leg when she faltered in her sawing cadence.

"I gave it all I had and I'm just thankful I've got another chance," said Engasser, who trains for the competition by kickboxing and weight lifting during the winter offseason of her sport.

"I'm also thankful that I'm going against Sheree because this will be a true test of our skills."

Meanwhile, Taylor defeated local favorite Penny Halvorson of Alma Center, Wis.

Halvorson was forced to cancel her invitation to the Great Outdoor Games last year after undergoing double rotator cup surgery after falling on a patch of ice. During the semifinals match, the 20-year veteran of the sport battled a case of bronchitis and pneumonia, thereby adding to the challenge of enduring the emotional event.

Lavoie, another banged-up warrior, wore wrist braces after an auto accident left her with pinched nerves in both arms.

The finals are set for Friday at 9 p.m. at the Willow Island venue of the Alliant Energy Center in downtown Madison.