By Nicholas Millson, Chautauqua County Team Captain
The Chautauqua County Government has placed 3rd in the large business category at this year’s Jamestown YMCA Battle of the Businesses, capping off a week of intense competition, teamwork, and community spirit.
The excitement kicked off two weekends ago, when the County Government's softball team fought through an intense bracket to try and take home the gold. The team’s strong effort among a very tough competition earned them a 5th place finish.
The women’s golf team gave the Chautauqua County Government a first place victory for the third year in a row! Casey Hennessey, Jane Benson, Justina Farley, and Marcy Casler led the way, helping secure a strong position after the first weekend of the event.
Participants in the 2 Mile Walk/Run pushed through to give the CHQ Gov. team another first place victory! Collin Barmore in 2nd, Kimberly Latone in 7th, and Amy Hitchcock in 8th place led the way for the team to reach the gold.
Other notable performances from the battle included:
- Hydro Bike Race - 2nd place (Collin Barmore, Chloe Kibbe)
- Wild Card Karaoke - 2nd place (Dianna Monn, Vicky Sanders, Cindy Cook)
- Disc Golf – 3rd place (Ryan Parker, Jeremiah Maring)
- Men’s Golf – 3rd place (Jeremiah Maring, Joseph Majkut, Heath Hall, Carl Liuzzo)
- Stones – 3rd place (Elizabeth Smoczynski, Casey Hennessey)
- Sur”Y”vor – 3rd place (Trevor North, Eric Sweeney, Amy Hitchcock, Nick Millson)
- Scrabble – 3rd place (Cindy Cook, Nicole Swanson)
During day 4 of the event, the county’s volleyball team fought through multiple games to claim 4th place. Congratulations to Sydney Moats, Elisandra Torres, Casey Hennessey, Amy Hitchcock, Michelle Trask, Eric Sweeney, Collin Barmore, Marissa Santiago, Lauren Manwaring and Michael Kapuscinski for their efforts. On day 5, the county’s curling team secured 6th place, with Casey Miller, Jeff Gallagher, Ryan Parker, and Eric Sweeney representing Chautauqua County on the ice.
By the end of the first week, Chautauqua County was sitting in 5th place overall, but made a strong comeback on the final Saturday.
In the final standings, Chautauqua County Government proudly placed 3rd overall in the large business category.
The grand finale of the Battle of the Businesses took place on a beautiful day at Hartley Park, where community members from various businesses gathered for the final events. Falconer Central Schools, along with Trinity Biotech/Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union in the small division, were crowned the 2025 Battle Champions. The event was a celebration of teamwork, dedication, and community spirit, bringing together some of the area’s most hard-working and fun-loving individuals.
“What an amazing week at the Battle of the Businesses! I’m so proud of our team for coming together, giving it their all, and earning a strong 3rd place finish against some incredibly tough competition." said Nicholas Millson, Chautauqua County Team Captain. "Big thanks to everyone who made this event possible—from the organizers to the volunteers, we truly couldn’t have done it without you! And to our wonderful team members—you are all incredible!"
A special thank you goes out to the YMCA staff, volunteers, and sponsors, including Greater Chautauqua FCU, Eventz by Scott, and Highmark BlueCross BlueShield, for making another unforgettable Battle of the Businesses event.
As the week concluded, Chautauqua County remained in high spirits, buoyed by the overwhelming support from coworkers, families, and friends who came out to cheer on their team. The county’s triumph reflects the perseverance, strength, and camaraderie of all those involved. Congratulations to all participants for making this year’s Battle one to remember.
