First Strongman event a success

While many Pitt students were curled up on their couches watching football on Saturday, several… While many Pitt students were curled up on their couches watching football on Saturday, several others decided to add some muscle. The first annual Pitt Strongman Competition featured male and female students competing in a variety of events designed to test their strength and heart. John Schneider, the event coordinator, was eager and excited about the competition when he started to create the event earlier this year. ‘[The goal was] for everyone to be able to challenge themselves,’ said Schneider. Though not exactly the events seen on ESPN, Schneider wanted to create the competition so students would not be overwhelmed. He divided both the men and women into three separate weight classes, all named after Greek mythology, and adjusted each event for them. One of the events was a farmer’s walk, which is a staple in many Strongman competitions. Each participant holds 55- to 150-pound torpedoes in each hand and walks up and down a course. In another event, students would carry a 70- to 140-pound stability ball full of water in a figure-eight formation. The keg clean and jerk was one of the more impressive events. Students would take a standard size keg, half full of water, and thrust it over their heads as many times as possible in a minute. The water, as Schneider said, was to ‘throw off the balance of the keg because when you lift it, the water goes back and forth.’ Students would then have to stabilize the keg before attempting another lift. In all, students competed in seven different events over the span of five hours. The male winners in each division were Christian Mason in the Hercules division, Zach Miller and David Esmaili in the Orion division and Nicholas Tate in the Atlas division. The female winners were Aurielle McCauley in the Styx division, Bridget Ingram and Caroline Nilsen in the Artimes division and Elizabeth Wyman in the Athena division. Medals were handed out for each event, and there was a team competition in which some of Pitt’s sororities and fraternities competed. The team who amassed the most points was awarded a trophy with its letters engraved in the base. Schneider plans to use the same trophy every year and allow the organizations to keep it until the next competition. This year’s winner will be announced soon. Even though not everyone could win, Schneider noted that the participants put a lot of work into the events. ‘Everyone really felt like they accomplished something,’ said Schneider. One of the main goals of the entire competition was for students to create a healthier lifestyle for themselves. ‘If we can do that, then the competition was a real success,’ said Schneider. Students who would like to compete in next year’s competition are urged to visit the Web site at www.intramurals.pitt.edu/strongman.php. There will be videos of each event, and results will be posted soon. Students are also encouraged to look for advertisements next September. Help is available at the Baierl Fitness Center for those who are not familiar with the training regimen.