Youths strut their stuff at Mr. Roadrunner contest

In a contest that turns the tables on the traditional women's beauty pageant, Woodard Junior High School's Mr. Roadrunner is an annual competition - with a humorous twist - for male students.

Friends and family members, including tons of squealing girls, packed the school cafeteria Wednesday night to loudly cheer on their favorite contestants. At the end of the night, 14-year-old Jonathen Arviso, an eighth-grade student, was crowned Mr. Roadrunner 2010, so-called in honor of the school's mascot. Aiden Miner was first runner-up, and Fernando Sanchez was second runner-up.

As the winner, Arviso received a crown, sash proclaiming his title and a $50 savings bond.

"It feels amazing. I'm ecstatic. I was so surprised," Arviso told the Yuma Sun backstage.

Asked why he won, he replied, "Because I tried to give it my all. I wanted to put on a good show, not just for me, but for the audience."

He thanked "Mr. O" (pageant organizer Thomas Ogilvie) and his mom and his pageant partner Shania Selitto for helping him prepare for the contest.

Arviso, the son of Joseph and Gennette Arviso, plans to attend an Ivy League university where he will earn an engineering degree and "go all the way to the top," either in engineering or wrestling.

The other contestants were Timmy Baumgarner, Jorge Galaviz, C.W. Lucas, Gabriel Pereda, Carlos Rivera and Ruben Soto.

Master of ceremonies Thomas Ogilvie, band director and science teacher, said he started the program two years ago as a fundraiser for the eighth grade and as "a way to showcase the amazing eighth-grade male students we have who may not always get the attention they deserve."

He added, "Any eighth-grade guy is eligible - they do not have to have a certain GPA or behavior standard or be a part of anything else - and they are chosen by the entire eighth grade through a voting process."

Ogilvie kicked off the Wednesday program with the introduction of contestants and judges. Eight local "celebrities" made up the judging panel, including teachers, a dance instructor, student body president, a Yuma Sun representative and other school and community members.

The students competed in four categories - muscle flex, talent, formal wear and group dance - putting aside all seriousness and keeping their sense of humor. Between categories Ogilvie shared tidbits of information about the contestants. (Arviso's favorite food is the New York strip steak; Baumgarner's grandmother is his hero.)

In the muscle flex portion, most contestants modeled tank tops and swimming trunks, followed by one minute of free-style flexing. Miner took a different path and appeared covered in a box. Arviso elicited laughs by sporting a giant Mexican sombrero, mustache and wrestling singlet.

For the talent portion, "dance machines" Arviso and Carlos Rivera had a dance off with dance moves ranging from break-dancing to Mexican rancheras. Arviso finished off with a Michael Jackson dance tribute.

Galaviz re-enacted the "greatest sports moment in history" - the last play of the last Super Bowl - in slow motion (even the football moved in slow motion in a "you had to be there" moment). Both Lucas and Sanchez channeled their inner nerd by dressing in geeky getups as they danced and sang.

For the first time, Pereda, Soto and Miner appeared as the band Musical Ninjas and performed a cover of White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." Baumgarner showed his "softer, sweeter side" with a romantic monologue, followed by dance moves, moonwalking, pushups and mingling with the audience.

For the formalwear portion, the contestants wore suits and ties and tried to outdo their competitors by showering their beautiful partners with flowers and gifts on stage. Again, Arviso edged out his competition by throwing petals in the path of his partner, Shania Selitto.

For the group dance, the contestants performed a romantic last dance with their partners, followed by a guys-only number featuring brief solos. After the judges deliberated, Ogilvie announced the winners of the individual awards. The winners were:

  • Best Creativity - Jonathen Arviso

  • Best Group Dance Moves - Timmy Baumgarner

  • Best Muscle Flex - Jorge Galaviz

  • Best Introduction - C.W. Lucas

  • Best Talent - Aiden Miner

  • Best Formal Wear - Gabriel Pereda

  • Best Overall Audience Appeal - Carlos Rivera

  • Best Stage Presence - Fernando Sanchez

  • Best Originality in All Categories - Ruben Soto

Then the Top 5 contestants were announced: Arviso, Sanchez, Miner, Rivera and Pereda. The top winners picked and answered the final question which they randomly picked. Arviso was asked: If he could choose one year of his life to relive, which year would he choose and what changes would he make, if any? He said he would relive his sixth-grade year at Woodard because he could have tried harder, studied harder and showed more school spirit and he wished he would have worked out more because he was a "little fluffy" then.

Miner, the runner-up, was asked what in his life he has found is the most important rule to live by. "Always keep your promises," he replied, noting that he once let his sister down when he didn't keep a promise and made her sad. If we all keep our promises, we won't hurt anyone's feelings, he added.

----
Mara Knaub can be reached at mknaub@yumasun.com or 539-6856.