TEEN-AGE MR. AMERICA!

By the Staff

IT WAS CASEY VIATOR NIGHT at the Muscletown YMCA as the 19-year old lad from New Iberia, Louisiana, copped the Teen-Age Mr. America, the Teen-Age Most Muscular title and four subdivisions--Best Arms, Best Legs, Best Chest and Best Back. Casey got tired walking out to the center of the posing platform to accept his awards from Bob Hoffman and John Terlazzo.

The Teen-age Mr. America is held in conjunction with Teen-age Weightlifting Championships and those who came to Muscletown YMCA for the two-day session really had their fill of good lifting and good physiques.

John Terlazzo, our Powerlift Editor, organized the meet and it was a huge success. We had 21 of the best built young men in the country vying for the title but, as we said Casey was at the bat and hit everything but Best Abdominals and that title went to Scott Pace from Blacksburg, Virginia and a student at Penn State University. Pace had a very symmetrical physique, a topflight powerlifter who should go far in the physique game but it's tough to beat a fellow with all the muscles Viator has. Viator, an unknown except in the Deep South, won third place in the big Mr. America contest held in California.

Selecting the Most Muscular posed no problems for the judges. It was Casey all the way. Scott Pace trailed him for second although he received tremendous applause. Dennis Wood was third, Buser fourth and Michael Maloney fifth.

In the subdivisions, when the announcer Len Bosland of Glen Rock, New Jersey, who did a terrific job with the microphone, announced Viator as winner of the Best Arms, the applause was deafening. He seems to have biceps on his biceps. Scott Pace took second and Buser of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, grabbed third. Buser had a very impressive physique and next year should rate high in the Mr. America contest which will be held here in Muscletown.

The Best Legs trophy went to Viator with Pace a close second. Dennis Wood of Winter Haven, Florida took the third prize.

Again Casey was called to the posing platform for the Best Chest award and again Scott Pace was second. Thomas Rosko, a real husky from White Plains, New York, got third.

Casey won the best back and believe us, his back is amazing. Charles Buser was judged second best with Michael Maloney of Grand Ledge, Michigan, as third.

Scott Pace easily took the Best Abdominal trophy with Charles Buser second and Viator third, his only loss of the evening.

We had a great panel of judges, all men well-seasoned in the art of selecting the best physiques. Bob Crist was the chairman and his men were Stan Laski, Jack Ayers, Bob Bender, Bill Leardi, Marty Cypher, Gordon Andrews, William Levering and Jerome Weis. These men made good decisions and no one complained.

In talking it over with some of the judges after the meet, they all seemed to agree that Viator is potentially the next Mr. America provided he doesn't get too muscular. He seems to have packed on all a young man can.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Competitors came out in groups before going into their individual posing. House lights were on so audience could form a good opinion of each man's merits.

- Casey Viator, Teen-age Mr. America

- Most Muscular teen-agers, L. to R: Michael Maloney, Grand Lodge, Mich., 5th; Dennis Wood, Winter Haven, Fla., 3rd; Casey Viator, New Iberia, La., the winner; Scott Pace, Penn State University, 2nd; and Charles Buser, Mechanicsburg, Pa., 4th.