Bodybuilders prepare to flex in Mr. and Ms. Penn

Mirroring the heavy snow falling outside, there was a flurry of activity in Zellerbach Auditorium on Monday night.

Dozens of students came out in the storm to prepare for tonight's Mr. and Ms. Penn bodybuilding contest.

The annual competition is a fundraiser for the women's track team and is organized by Tony Tenisci, assistant women's track coach.

"The show is so exciting because it's so professional," he said. "The young people are so full of energy. It's a one of a kind night."

This year's contest includes 14 men and 14 women from a variety of Penn's schools and sports teams.

Aside from being separated by gender, the competitors are further divided into two classes: short and tall.

Tenisci noted that the competition will by especially fierce this year and that the judges will have a tough time deciding the winners.

"I think that all categories are going to be really hard to judge," he said. "This is such a high quality group; I'm glad I'm not judging."

But one of the people who is judging is a familiar name. Penn football coach Al Bagnoli will be a judge for the first time.

"To have coach Bagnoli, head football coach as a judge, that's huge for me," Tenisci said.

Men's heavyweight crew and women's track will have a strong presence at the contest; both teams entered five competitors apiece.

Sophia Termini, a freshman on the track team, said her teammates were a major factor in her decision to enter the contest.

"Some of my teammates have done it before and they really had fun and enjoyed it," she said. "I was peer pressured into entering."

The competitors have been extensively dieting and training for weeks, or even months, to be in perfect shape for the contest.

"We have full training clinics where we teach them how to pose, how to do choreography and nutrition," Tenisci said. "I bring in professional people to help."

Termini cited the strict diet as the most difficult part of the training.

"Diet was the biggest part. We dieted for 6 weeks," she said.

"I'm a freshman so I had to eat in the dining hall. It was hard."

Termini's track teammate and fellow freshman, Brittany Middlebrooks agreed that the diet was tough to maintain.

"I lived off of spinach, chicken and balsamic vinegar."

Junior John Picasso agreed that the diet was difficult but added that there was a perk to the training.

"Three months of meat and vegetables was hard but it was good spring break training," he said. "It's all about spring break."

Greg Cobb, a senior on men's heavyweight crew, said that his teammates encouraged him to enter the contest.

"I've been coming to the competition for the past two years to cheer on my teammates," Cobb said.

"My friend James Lederman, who's also in the competition, pressured me to do it," he added. "I thought, if he can do it, I can do it."

Lederman, Cobb's crew teammate, wasn't the only person pressuring him to enter.

"My girlfriend Sam [Crook] and her roommate Lauren [Davis] are also in the contest," he said.

Cobb noted that the training was a lot easier for him because he had a strong support system.

"All year, Sam, James, Lauren and I have been cooking and eating dinner together," Cobb said.

"Sometimes Sophia [Termini] had dinner with us also."

Crook, a senior, admitted her role in getting her friends to enter the contest.

"I coerced them," she said proudly.

This year's competition is especially poignant for Crook.

"This is my fourth year in the contest. My first year I was terrible," she said. "I didn't do well.

"My sophomore year I came in second. Last year, my roommate beat me by one point."

Crook advised that the audience keep an eye out for her roommate, Lauren Davis.

"She's number four this year in lightweight."

Tenisci explained his tactics for spreading the word about the contest.

"I start advertising in Pottruck. Most kids know that it's coming, so they just contact me," he said.

Tenisci said that planning this competition is one of the most rewarding parts of his job.

"I love that I'm able to give out wonderful pieces of knowledge about food and fitness that they can take with them for the rest of their lives. They learn so much about themselves, about discipline and hard work," he said. "I'm really proud of them."

Senior J.P. McAfee already has plans for after the contest.

"I've already decided that I'm going to Maggiano's and getting a family order of pasta," he said.

"My girlfriend is also holding a six-pound box of chocolates for me to eat on my way there."

But before the event, Picasso had a few words of advice for his competition.

"Bring it on!"

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