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.

“I’m out here to win today,” he said. “Winning is all well and fine but this is my last competition.”

Coming out ahead is something that is important to Russo, but what he has already endured in life pales in comparison to posing on stage. A three-time cancer survivor, the 60-year-old Long Islander knows a thing or two about winning an uphill battle.

Beginning in 1991, Russo went through a 16-year journey that did not always appear to have a happy ending. “I had three different cancers, they weren’t all the same,” he recalled. “The last one, the lung cancer, was the toughest because I had to go through chemo. But each and every time I kept going back to the gym, kept exercising as much as possible and I wasn’t going to take this lying down.”

Crediting what he called his “team,” Russo gave a lot of admiration to his doctors, nurses, friends and family, especially his wife Wende. “[She] was great about everything,” he said. “She helped me a lot. You can’t do it alone. You need support, and with that support you can battle and fortunately for me I’m standing here today.”

Incredibly, Russo started training for his first show the day he began chemotherapy. 23 months after his surgery, Russo was competing in the 2007 NPC Eastern USA. While that may seem like quite an accomplishment, being clean from any cancer eclipses that. “I’m almost at my five-year benchmark,” Russo said with a deserved smile.

Russo went on to compete in the Masters 50 Plus and 60 Plus divisions and although he may not have left with a trophy under his arm, he received the loudest ovation of the day at the outdoor show when he was given the Survivor Award.

In addition to being an inspiration to us all, Russo is also a certified personal trainer and author. He penned his memoirs of the battles that he won, entitled “Three Strikes You’re In.” The book is available on Amazon.com as well as www.rustyrussobooks.com.

Be sure to visit his official website, www.rustyrusso.com.

I`m a certified personal trainer, training men and women of all ages.  I will train you in your own home or at the gym of your choice.  Also certified in nutrition,  I offer a great weight loss program that won`t leave you starving.  A buddy system, where two people can train during the same session for a discounted price,  is available.  Want to bulk up those muscles or just tone them?  I can help.  Results are guaranteed.  With my training and nutrition program you will feel healthier,  look better and have a more positive general attitude.

(From Rusty Russo’s website)

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.