Torchon wins bodybuilding title

Students were impressed by fine male physiques at Sigma Alpha Delta Honor Society's second annual Mr. Baruch Bodybuilding Show on Nov. 17.

Eight men competed for the title of Mr. Baruch Bodybuilding 2005.

Lightweight competitors, who weigh in at under 175 pounds, included Eric Ma, Issac Rosado, Jason Prager and Jean Fleurival. Dwayne Yetman, Dominic Commisso, Elyse Pierre and Reginal "Reggie" Torchon competed in in the heavyweight division, for those over 175 pounds.

Alumnus Lionel Wynter hosted, and the judging panel was composed of five bodybuilding experts. Scott Anderson, winner of the 2005 N.J. State Overall, acted as chief judge. He was assisted by Darin Page, the fourth-place winner at the Masters Nationals; Crown Xian, last year's Mr. Baruch Bodybuilding champion; Ignat Glushko, an ISSA-certified fitness trainer; and Zalman Mahker, whom Wynter described as "Baruch's best bodybuilder."

The event started off with mandatory poses, followed by the lightweight individual routines, in which the contestants were given 90 seconds to pose to their own music.

Ma used the entire stage for his routine. Rosado flexed his pectoral muscles to "Wait (The Whisper Song)" by the Ying Yang Twins. Prager entertained the audience with his 17-inch arms, and Fleurival showed off his coordination.

During the heavyweight individual routines, Torchon's perfected back poses got much applause. Yetman, last year's winner in the heavyweight division, started his routine with a slanted handstand. He also amused the audience with a little striptease and some one-handed pushups. Pierre performed to the sounds of "Dude" by Beanie Man. Commisso's broad shoulders awed the female audience.

For the finale, Reginald "Reggie" Torchon, heavyweight division winner, and Eric Ma, lightweight division winner, competed head-to-head for the title of Mr. Baruch Bodybuilding 2005. In the end, the audience went wild as Torchon was declared winner.

"It feels great to win," said Torchon, who was participating in his first-ever bodybuilding contest after two and a half years of preparation. "When I heard my name announced, I was very happy and satisfied. I put a lot of work and effort into this," he said.

Afterward, the United Sikh Association treated the audience to a traditional bhangra dance. Guest poser Page demonstrated professional bodybuilding techniques and choreography. His powerful physique got much applause.

The award for the Best Stage Presence, chosen by the audience, followed. Bella Kizhnerman, aka "Unique" from WBMB Radio, co-hosted. She shouted, "Where are my girls at? This is the feeling section of the show." She choose three curious girls to come up and pick the winner from the audience's favorites-Commisso, Yetman, Torchon and Prager. In the end, after touching all the contestants' abs, they chose Commisso for best stage presence.

In the sectional prizes, the judges deemed a two-way tie for "Most Dedicated." The first winner was Prager, who reportedly spends an average of six hours in the gym daily. Rosado, the second winner, lost forty-seven pounds in one year to prepare for this competition.

The "Best Arms" prize went undoubtedly to Yetman, while "Best Chest" went to Fleurival. Judges initially gave the "Best Legs" to Commisso but Ma challenged him and took the prize. Ma also took the "Most Proportional" award. Host Wynter said that this prize was "hard to decide."

Besides from winning the entire competition, Torchon also won first place in the Heavyweight division and received sectional awards for "Most Outstanding Abs."

The results for the Lightweight division were as follows: first place, Ma; second place, Fleurival; third place, Issac; and fourth place, Prager. In the heavyweights division, Torchon won first place, followed by Yetman in second place, Commisso in third place and Pierre in fourth place.

In the end, Ma and Torchon showed off their best poses while the judges deliberated who should win the overall prize. Anderson triumphantly announced that the Mr. Baruch Bodybuilding title went to Reggie Torchon, and the audience went wild with excitement.

"Reggie had the best package," stated Anderson.

Elman Isakov and Andrew Terentyov, organizers, were pleased with the outcome of the show. Max May, president of Sigma Alpha Delta, felt that the Bodybuilding Show "not only lived up to our ambition of being well attended but also showcased Baruch's best bodybuilders."

An audience member said that the competitors were very prepared and the show was much more organized and professional than last year's.