The12th SMU bodybuilding contest took place at Hughes-Trigg Thursday night. Jesse  Murphy won the Mr. SMU Bodybuilding Champion title in the men’s category. Vanessa Trevino carried the trophy in the women’s category.  
 

The two also won “The Best Pose” trophies in their respective  categories.
Stephen Poulin was the runner-up, while Brian Bertrand took third place in the Men’s category while.
 

In the women’s category, Nina Sosa –Rivera was declared runner-up. Marissa Adamacy took third place.
 

The audience looked as though there were no dull moment as the energized and interactive watchers engaged the competitors through shouts, clapping, and chanting throughout the session.
 

Bodybuilding is an exercise that builds muscles through tension. The participants displayed  agility  and stamina  in different poses to catch the panels’ eye.
 

Trevino, a dance major who is graduating in May, said participating in the competition for the first time made her gain respect for the profession.  She had started preparation by looking at bodybuilding videos.
 

“It takes a lot of concentration and willpower to go through this.  It was a great experience,” she added.
 

This was Murphy’s second time to participate.  He said he enjoyed the competitive spirit surrounding the event.  In summer he will team up with friends for a bike ride from Virginia to Oregon to raise funds for charity.
 

Other competitors  in the men’s  category were  David Freitag and Michael Whitaker.
The panel of judges comprised of Jeromie Ryan, Regina Coreil, Corbin Lawson, Kerry Obleton, and Arnold Shokouhi: all fitness industry practitioners from the metroplex.
 

“The competition was great.  The participants put in a lot of work and discipline,” Shokouhi said.
 

Last year’s winners Seth Fox and Sarah Gingrich presented the trophies to the winners. 

Fox said it was fun, and was pleased with the increased number of participants.  
 

The competition, sponsored by SMU’s  Department of Recreational Sports, was started at SMU by Tim Mooler, then associate director of recreation,  in 1998. He had been a body builder, and  decided to introduce bodybuilding to offer students an opportunity to exploit their  physical potential in addition to pursuing  academic goals.
 

Kelly Richards, fitness coordinator in the department and the event  organizer, said that in order to prepare for the competition, one must be in good shape.
 

“Weightlifting is a major component  of preparation.  Participants normally lift weights a couple of hours a day,” Richards said. She added that most of the competitors started training at the beginning of the semester. They watch what they eat, since  proper nutrition is a major component of staying in shape.