2008 Woodie Awards
Mr., Ms. SRU crowned at annual bodybuilding show
By Terry Rodgers
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: Sports
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After months of hard work for these competitors, two would be chosen to carry the prestigious title.
Tyler Harrison, a senior from Titusville, Pa., was crowned Mr. SRU for 2008 along with Amanda Robinson, a junior from Pittsburgh, who was named Ms. SRU.
The Mr. and Ms. SRU event is a yearly bodybuilding and figure competition sponsored by the university's Bodybuilding and Fitness Club.
Men are judged and critiqued in bodybuilding according to size symmetry, conditioning and striation-the lines in the muscles that can be seen. The women are judged in fitness according to symmetry, presence and feminine figure.
Each champion received a large trophy and a sword that will be engraved with the champ's name.
Mike Price, 2005 Mr. SRU and part owner of High Definition Fitness in New Castle, Pa., donated the swords, which are traditionally awarded at larger bodybuilding shows.
But the crowning achievement for both Harrison and Robinson will be the placement of their portrait on the wall alongside pictures of past Mr. and Ms. SRU winners in the weight room of the Aebersold Recreation Center.
The wall of fame is famous among those who frequent the ARC, as the pictures of the previous winners loom over the training room as motivation for future competitors.
"I remember during orientation, I walked in the gym (of the ARC) and saw the wall of fame and I said to myself, 'Before I graduate, I am going to be on that wall,'" Harrison said.
On Sunday, he and 34 other contestants had that same mindset.
The men and women were categorized in three separate divisions each.
The winner from each division was compared to the other two division winners at the end of the show to determine who would take home Mr. and Ms. SRU honors.
For the men, the divisions were lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight, while for the women, the categories were based on height: short, medium and tall.
The standing-room-only crowd was electric from the beginning, as some fans ran up the aisles holding signs to voice their support of their favorite contestant. Others cheered maniacally as their favorite competitors showcased their stuff.
"When I heard the crowd, I was on fire," Harrison said. "The music stopped and I just kept going. I didn't want to get off stage."
Robinson said the crowd's excitement gave her an extra boost as well.
"Everybody was screaming, every time they would scream I would get tighter," said Robinson. "My fans were awesome."
Each male competitor entered the stage individually and to his own musical accompaniment, most choosing mixes that allowed their poses to change with the tunes.
The men flexed and posed, showing off every muscle possible.
The women's competition was a bit more formal and structured.
The ladies were called out according to divisions, with each going through set poses and stances.
Robinson said that this is due to the fact that the women are really more about poise, presence and femininity.
The afternoon show was slated to begin at 3 p.m. but was delayed 20 minutes in order to accommodate the large crowd.
"I walked outside around five 'til three and there was a line all the way to Weisenfluh," said Dan Tokarek, who earned Mr. SRU honors in last year's competition and who also serves as the Bodybuilding and Fitness Club president.
For the bulk of the competitors, the afternoon show was more for the entertainment, as most of the scoring was done at 9 a.m. during what is called the pre-judge.
The morning pre-judge is the intense assessing when the five judges evaluate competitors and choose winners for each of the weight classes.
After this, the only decisions to be made by the judges at the afternoon come when the winners from each classification stand side-by-side. Then, the judges select which two competitors will be crowned Mr. and Ms. SRU.
This year, the five people responsible for crowning Mr. and Ms. SRU were professional judges from the National Physique Committee.
Tokarek explains that the reason for bringing in professional judges was so the competitors could get used to being more strictly critiqued, as they would be in any professional competition.
"The judges absolutely loved the show," Tokarek said. "They commented on everybody's physique and said they would be glad to come back next year."
With all of the judging out of the way, it was time for these competitors to have some fun.
The afternoon show is where the contestants can entertain the crowd, smile and showcase their hard work.
Some posers really played to the packed crowd, entering the stage wearing anything from a mink coat and sunglasses to full
gladiator gear.
At the conclusion of the entertainment, it was finally time to name the winners.
Every contestant received a trophy, which Robinson believes is appropriate.
"You do not lose, whether you get last place or first. I mean, no sane person gets up at 6:30 every morning just to do cardio (or) diet," she said.
First the women entered the stage.
The three ladies were asked to turn and pose four times and after a brief pause, Robinson's name was announced and the crowd favorite's fan base erupted.
"Slippery Rock made me more nervous (than other competitions) because I knew everyone in the crowd," she said.
After finishing first in her division (medium) last year but losing the title of Ms. SRU 2007 to Malorye Waite, Robinson came out this year more determined.
"If I put my mind to something, I'm not going to give up until I get it," Robinson said. "I would keep going, even if it took four years (to win)."
The men were next, and the competition was close, so close, in fact, that the men's final went down to a pose-down in order to determine the winner of Mr. SRU.
A pose-down is when the three winners are given an amount of time at the end of the show to do their best poses for the crowd. All three competitors are on the stage at the same time at this point, so the judges can compare them side by side.
At the conclusion, Harrison's name was called.
"I was so excited," Harrison said. "This is one of the biggest accomplishments of my life."
According to Tokarek, 2008 attendance at the event doubled that of any other Mr. and Ms. SRU competition in the past. He said he expects the show to continue to grow from here, but for now, everyone involved should take a moment to enjoy the success of 2008.
"I was very pleased," he said, "everything was just a complete success."
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