The obvious fan favorite was Connecticut’s P.J. Braun, who brings a mixture of confidence and insanity to the stage. He definitely had his guns loaded and won the heavyweight class. Lithuanian Audrius Jegelevicius, who won the NPC Metropolitan overall in this very same building in April, was named the super heavyweight winner.

A good showing was also made by Paul Sousa, who won the Masters 35+ Heavyweight and Masters Overall. He finished as the runner-up to Braun in the open heavyweight category.

Perhaps the most impressive of all the competitors was Nick Medici, who was named the champion in the Teen B, Teen Overall, Novice Light Heavyweight and Novice Overall divisions. This young man definitely has a future and it would not be a surprise to see him gracing the pages of the muscle magazines very shortly. Definitely the earner of a future pro card.

In women’s bodybuilding, Andrea Giacomi won the overall over Myra Adams and Maria Rita Penteado.Ava Cowan won the overall figure while Sue Dent took the fitness and Monica Eiler the bikini.

Kai Greene, the 2009 Arnold Classic winner, really blew things up with an excellent guest posing appearance. The Brooklyn native possessed an incredible set of wheels and a lat spread that could gather frequent flier miles.

NY Metropolitan Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships Took on New Meaning in ‘09 - The chatter began in the area of the judge’s table and photographer’s pit as soon as he walked on the stage.

“Where is this guy from again?”

“He looks real good.”

There was definitely a buzz in the air when the overall winner of the men’s bodybuilding class made his appearance, fittingly the last one to hit the spotlight. Audrius Jegelevicius was clearly the star of the show at the 2009 Steve Stone New York Metropolitan Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships and deservingly took home the top trophy of the night, which he proudly held as he made his way home via the Number 1 train headed uptown from the Chambers Street stop.

The 37-year-old Lithuanian also won the Super Heavyweight Division and beat out a well-conditioned Shaun Young (Heavyweight Division and Masters Overall, 35+ Over 176.25 winner) for the overall title on an evening that was about remembering a great man who dedicated his life to the sport that he loved.

The contest was renamed to pay homage to Steve Stone, who passed away during Olympia weekend last year. A moment of silence was done in his honor with a special moment between his widow and Bev Francis, the former great female bodybuilder who emceed the event.

Jegelevicius, who has been training for a quarter century, won his second show in the United States following his victory at the 2007 Eastern USA Championships. He is looking to do more damage in this country and plans on becoming a United States citizen. When asked if he will compete in the Nationals in November and have a chance to earn his pro card, he said there is a “90 percent chance” of that happening.

What began with a 12-year-old boy experimenting with a set of dumbbells back in Lithuania transformed into the shredded, 242-pound bodybuilder that had his hand held up in Manhattan. “The highest I was this year was 282,” he said, commenting on the mass he puts on in the offseason. He definitely brought the entire package to this show.

Perhaps the most entertaining portion of the card was the Pro Fitness competition, which was won by Shannon Meteraud. Trish Warren – who was being cheered on by her pro bodybuilder husband Branch and pro fitness competitor Jenny Lynn seated together in the first row – finished as the runner-up. Tina Durkin was the third place winner.

The others standing in the winner’s circle were Jermaine Morgan (Men’s Bodybuilding Light Heavyweight); Michael DePalma (Men’s Bodybuilding Middleweight, Masters 35+); Mike Grezzo (Men’s Bodybuilding Lightweight and Novice); John Kioskerides (Men’s Bodybuilding Bantamweight); Jeff Beckham (Men’s Bodybuilding Overall and Heavyweight); Frank Ruiz (Men’s Bodybuilding Light Heavyweight); Mario Valenzuela (Men’s Bodybuilding Novice Middleweight); Michael Dagro (Men’s Bodybuilding Novice Bantamweight); James Bocina (Men’s Bodybuilding Masters 45+); Calvin Myers (Men’s Bodybuilding Masters 55+); Michael Soltus (Men’s Bodybuilding Teen Overall and A); Nick Paladino (Men’s Bodybuilding Teen A); Marie Rita Penteado (Female Bodybuilding Overall); Melissa Stocker-Betz (Figure Overall, Class A and Masters 35+); Natalie Benjamin (Figure Class B); Kristen Nagrani (Fitness Class C); Stacey Curcio (Fitness); Blythe Alberg (Bikini Overall and Short Class) and Elise Firestone (Bikini Tall Class).

The variety that this show offered was definitely one of its plusses. Everything from “young” divisions to “old” was on the plate and the people in attendance at the Tribecca Performing Arts at BMCC certainly let their loud applause do the talking for them.

Hopefully they will recharge their batteries because just over a month after the show comes the IFBB New York Pro, an annual event held at the same venue also promoted by Francis and Steve Weinberger.

Most athletes have the luxury of something called an ‘offseason.’ You know, the winter in baseball and the spring for football. A time of the year to recover from all the work that you put in. That is the case in most sports.

Not in bodybuilding, which is a 12 month, seven days a week commitment. To prepare for a competition, especially one with the magnitude of Mr. Olympia, there isn’t a day to waste. Kevin English has to get down approximately 70 pounds to his contest weight of a little over 200.

“Usually when people see me on stage they think that I’m about 20 pounds heavier,” the 5’4” Great Neck, New York native said. No wonder with the mass that he possesses.

In September, he was on bodybuilding’s largest stage at the 44th Mr. Olympia contest, which took place at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. It was English’s rookie ‘O,’ and he finished 16th out of 19 competitors. Earlier in the day, he was the first runner-up in the 202 Showdown, which pitted the smaller bodybuilders against one another.

Two days prior to the show, English felt confident that he was going to do well. “Me being a newcomer, I sat back for many years and observed,” he said. “It took much to get here so I’m not here just to compete. I’m definitely here to place well.”

English trains at Bev Francis’ Powerhouse Gym in Syosset. The former female bodybuilder and powerlifter runs a place that local lifters are honored to work out at, and she is also a promoter for the New York Pro, the contest in which English finished second this year, giving him his Olympia qualifier.

Earlier in the year, English took first place at the Shawn Ray IFBB Men’s 202 and Under Pro, which was a great accomplishment for the 34 year-old. Realizing that even an individual sport such as bodybuilding requires a ‘team’ concept, English said, “If you look at any sport, teams have coaches and a staff. I got myself a phenomenal trainer named Dr. Michael Camp and a nutritionalist. We came up with a great plan about a year ago to get ready for this show (Mr. Olympia).”

Being the only competitor of the 19 from Gotham City, English knew he had a big responsibility to his hometown. “New York pride means everything,” he said. “I have to come in here and I have to represent at the same time.”

Being one of the shorter men on the stage does not bother English. In fact, he views it as an advantage. “I feel that me having small joints and a tiny waist, I think that whole illusion is going to make the appearance of me looking a lot bigger that what I actually am.”

Being bigger is the name of the game, and height is not really an issue. Of the 19 men who competed, only one was six feet or taller. Standing tall in bodybuilding holds a different meaning. One that English has done extremely well in a short period of time.

“I don’t just want tom walk on the stage,” he said of contest time. “I want to do damage and place well.”

So far, so good.