New Mr. and Ms. Penn coronated

Senior Sam Crook was finally vindicated after four long years.

Crook was crowned Ms. Penn at the 13th annual Mr. and Ms. Penn bodybuilding contest last night in Zellerbach Theatre.

"I'm so excited," Crook said. "Four years and finally first place."

Hasani Sinclair, a member of Penn's cheerleading squad, won the title of Mr. Penn -- the third year in a row that a cheerleader has won.

Sinclair's victory was three years in the making for the senior.

"I feel wonderful," he said. "I feel like I really recovered from dieting. I knew that I needed come out of my diet strong."

Master of ceremonies and assistant women's track coach Tony Tenisci presided over the raucous crowd.

The lower level of the venue was filled to near capacity, with both young and old cheering for their favorite competitors, and all came for different reasons.

Senior Mark Gibson was in the crowd to support a friend.

"My housemate [Albert Auclair] is in the show," Gibson said.

Senior Rishun Jain had a different reason for attending.

"It seemed like it was going to be a good time," he said. "I work out a lot and I know how hard it is to get your body into shape. They look great."

This is the contest's 13th year, but it is the first time that it had a major sponsor -- Life Fitness.

The judges included several former winners of the contest and Al Bagnoli, head coach of the Penn football team.

The night was especially rewarding for Crook, as all four of her roommates placed in their respective categories.

"We're a house of bodybuilders," Crook's roommate James Lederman said.

Freshman Sophia Termini, who came in third place in the women's tall class, was still in shock after the competition.

"It's unbelievable," she said. "It was so much fun, I didn't expect it. It's such an honor."

For Sinclair, feeling healthy was key in his victory.

"It's not about how I look, but how I feel," Sinclair said. "I wanted to be able to be as strong as possible."

Sophomore Maria Popova, an advertising representative for The Daily Pennsylvanian, and Penn Dental student Mark Reichley, who had a rowdy cheering section three rows wide, were the runners-up.

The winners were decided on the basis of a comparative line-up and an individual choreography round.

Jain said the individual performance round was his favorite part of the competition.

"The girls were a lot of fun to watch," he said. "They spent a long time on their choreography."

Sinclair cited several people as being indispensable to his training, including one unlikely source.

"I want to thank my girlfriend, my training partner who came in third place in the short division, my cheerleading teammates and the cooks at Cavanaugh's."

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