After being declared first runner-up in last year's Mr. and Ms. Ball State Bodybuilding Competition, junior Keisha Pedigo was determined to take home the trophy Wednesday night.
And she did.
"My goal was to be the champion, and I was more nervous this year because I actually had the opportunity to win," Pedigo said.
So when she was declared Ms. Ball State 2004, Pedigo was relieved.
"I felt like all my hard work paid off," she said. "I felt very blessed."
Senior Daniel Graveel, who captured the title of Mr. Ball State, said he was ecstatic when his name was announced.
"It was awesome," Graveel said. "I was on top of the world."
Hundreds of students packed the lower half of Emens Auditorium to see 17 student bodybuilders pose and flex their tanned muscles.
Graveel said he competed last year but didn't place, so he immediately began training to build more size. He said he also went on a diet 12 weeks before Wednesday's competition.
"It's a challenge," Graveel said. "I'm addicted to bodybuilding."
Pedigo said she became interested in bodybuilding after one of her freshman-year track teammates participated in the competition. When the track team forbade her to participate in both sports, Pedigo said she quit the team to take up bodybuilding.
"I just love the whole atmosphere and the art of the bodybuilding, and I just wanted to see if I could do it," Pedigo said.
Wednesday night's competition contained three categories: women, medium men and tall men. The contestants, each wearing a ribbon, began the competition by flexing on bleachers as they rose above the stage.
"All contestants are wearing victory ribbons because every single one of them is a winner in our eyes," facilitator David Pearson, physical education professor, said.
The contestants in each of the three categories then performed mandatories, where they stood in a line and flexed certain muscles as the judges called them out. Each contestant then posed individually to music they selected.
Afterward, the judges further evaluated a few of the contestants by selecting them to perform specific poses with some of their competitors.
When the winners were finally announced, students waved posters and cheered.
In the women's category, graduate student Vicki Pleska won third place. First runner-up was awarded to junior Ashley Sica, and Pedigo won the title of Ms. Ball State.
In the medium men's category, senior Kyle Klein won third place, and graduate student Josh Bokelman won first runner-up, which he also won last year. Graveel won Mr. Ball State in that category and was named the overall winner.
In the tall men category, senior Doug Hadley was awarded third place, and senior Jeff McElhaney won first runner-up. Senior Brad Joyce won Mr. Ball State in that category.
Two-time Ms. Ball State champion Nikki Warner also served as the guest poser.
"Our winners are of such tremendous caliber that they go on to do great things, but it's always enjoyable to welcome old winners back," Pearson said.
The bodybuilding competition has been running for more than 30 years. Tammy Greene, senior at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said she came to the competition to support Joyce and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
"It was interesting," Greene said. "It was better than I expected."
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