Penn's strongest strut their stuff

Weighing in with only 2.5 percent body fat, fourth-year orthopedic resident Brett Whitfield has a lofty task in front of him if he plans to approach the national average body fat level of 15-20 percent.

A health-conscious Whitfield doesn't plan to do that, but he does plan to eat "two bacon double cheeseburgers, 30 wings, and plenty of fries."

However, this task pales in comparison to abiding by the strict diet that earned him his title of Mr. Penn last night in the Mr. and Ms. Penn 2001 bodybuilding competition, held in the Annenberg Theater.

"My life for the past six weeks consisted of operating, going to the gym, and taking my National Orthopedic training exam," Whitfield said.

And within this stressful regimen, he said that his diet was the hardest part in training for this Penn track fundraiser.

Under the guidance of assistant women's track coach Tony Tenisci, the 14 male and 12 female contestants this year have followed a strict diet and weight training routine, all in preparation for a several-minute showcasing of their chiseled physiques.

"Everyone wants to be in good shape and it is nice to have a goal to work for," Tenisci said. "Tonight, they finally get to see this wonderful, fit body that they have been seeking."

Which is why, Tenisci maintains, even when the competition is over, the competitors will probably continue to eat healthily and work out, save for a brief binge, a la Whitfield.

"A lot of the kids are just so proud of their bodies that after [the competition] they may have regular meals, but will still work hard to protect it," Tenisci said.

And while the contestants certainly improved their own bodies, only a few walked away with the coveted title of Mr. and Ms. Penn.

Winning the lightweight title -- defined as under 160 pounds for guys and shorter than 5-foot-4 for girls -- were sophomores Eddie Lin and Christy Green. Lin is now a two-time defending lightweight champ, and Green is a member of the Penn gymnastics team.

The winners in the middleweight division were Whitfield and graduate student Shasta Jones.

The overall winners were determined in a flex-off, where Whitfield defeated Lin.

The girls overall winner posed a slightly tougher question for the judges. After flexing to music, the judges then called for the girls to perform specific poses.

There were chants of "two winners," but in the end, Green prevailed as the overall Ms. Penn.

However, some argue that simply participating in the contest itself is an overall victory.

"It's great to stand up and show everyone how hard we are working in our sports," lightweight contestant Erin Rhoades said. "It is a chance for us to [say], 'We're legit, ripped, strong women,' and it is great to get positive feedback for something like that."

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