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Wildcats Pump Up Crowd

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By LARRY BUGG Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 3, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - John Castelamare told the crowd that one of his super heavyweight contestants was suffering from stage fright.

"He's just a little scared," said Castelamare, the football coach and organizer of the Mr. and Ms. Wesley Chapel contest. "He's 260 pounds and he's still scared."

What did the contestant have to be scared of?

Wednesday night, it could have been the catcalls, the screaming, the cries of "I love you," the wolf whistles or anything else the boisterous crowd was screaming at Wesley Chapel High's Center for the Arts.

Or, it might have been that the contestant was scared of walking on stage in shorts and no shirt and having to flex his muscles in front of his peers.

Whatever it was, that contestant eventually walked on stage, and the crowd played a major part in the annual Mr. and Ms. Wesley Chapel bodybuilding competition.

There were 20 males and 13 females vying for the coveted Mr. and Ms. Wesley Chapel titles and the large trophies that went with them.

Perhaps the least intimidated contestant was senior Danielle Reardon, who took home her second consecutive Ms. Wesley Chapel title. Reardon, a cheerleader and weightlifter, showed plenty of poise, strength and some moves that might have won her an adult contest.

Aaron Duncan walked away with two trophies. The junior won Mr. Wesley Chapel, and he and Jasmine Pleasant won the pairs title.

Reardon, who hopes to join the cheerleading team at the University of Central Florida next year, had plenty to cheer about.

She said preparing for the competition was best part.

"The preparation, working so hard and dieting, working out and winning it," Reardon said. "I cheer for three teams."

She said she cried after winning the title again.

"It's a relief to win," she said. "It feels like you really worked for this and you won it."

There were four other trophies taken home by the girls. Cameo Collura, sister of former Ms. Wesley Chapel Carissa Collura, was the Ms. Wesley Chapel runner-up. Pleasant was selected for Best Symmetry, Francina Pierre won Best Showmanship and Brianna Madden won for best legs.

Duncan stood out from the pack enough to take home the Mr. Wesley Chapel title.

"It feels great," Duncan said of his victory. "I have been in the weight room every day trying to do what I've got to do."

Duncan, a junior football player, said it was more difficult to score a touchdown than to flex before his peers.

"I play a safety and running back," Duncan said. "I have been trying to keep my grades up, going to church. It's all been coming to me.

"I really was just having fun. I didn't expect it. Coach Able Robinson helped me a lot. I am going to dedicate one of the trophies to him."

Rodney Harden took home the lightweight title. Jeremy Rogue was named the middleweight champion. Hunter Joyer won the heavyweight title, and Raymond Nixon took the super heavyweight title. Nate Ruiz won for best abs.

This was the first time the contest was held in the Center for the Arts, with the contest taking place in the gymnasium the first eight years.

Castelamare began the bodybuilding contest at Ridgewood High when he coached there, and he brought the contest to Wesley Chapel when he took the head coaching job.

Castelamare was pleased with the large turnout, and he was grateful to arts director Patrick McDermott for allowing use of the facility.

"We sure had a pretty good crowd," Castelamare said. "Mr. McDermott gave us the opportunity, and we are very happy. I know the contestants enjoyed it. Everything went well.

"We had a lot of our athletes and some who weren't. They did a heck of a job. It took them about a month to train. Some were nervous. One said she had a stomach-ache and was petrified. She was one of the winners.

"You can't do this alone. All the coaches have to help out."

Keyword: Bodybuilding, to view staff photographer Fred Bellet's photo gallery.

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