THE 1966 MR. AMERICA SHOW
| CONTESTANT | CLUB | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bob Gajda | Duncan YMCA | 69 |
| 2. | Sergio Oliva | Duncan YMCA | 66½ |
| 3. | Ralph Kroger | Coast Health Studio | 66½ |
| 4. | Randy Watson | Atlanta, Ga. | 65½ |
| 5. | James Haislop | tampa Health Club | 65½ |
| 6. | Dennis Tinerino | Brookylyn, N. Y. | 64½ |
| 7. | Will Whitaker | Parkview Health Club | 64 |
| 8. | Charles Estes | Cosmopolitan HC | 64 |
| 9. | Tom Helms | York Barbell Club | 58½ |
| 10. | Bill St. John | York Barbell Club | 57½ |
| 11. | Eugene Dickerson | Lea's Gym | 56½ |
| 12. | Eugene Kuczinski | Eastern Health Studio | 56½ |
| 13. | Gene Wells | Fritsh's Gym | 56 |
| 14. | Nick Spano | Physical Fitness HC | 55 |
| 15. | Wm. Parker | Bel Air Health Club | 55 |
| 16. | Steve Johnson | Fritsch'e Gym | 53 |
| 17. | Charles Fautz | Surf Breakers AC | 52½ |
| 18. | Tom Hutson | St. Louis, Mo. | 52 |
| 19. | Jim Dorn | York Barbell Club | 52 |
| 20. | Kent Kuehn | Lansing, Mich. | 51 |
| 21. | Jerry Doettrel | York, AC, Buffalo | 50 |
| 22. | Jose Lopez | Roberto Santana HC | 49 |
| 23. | Steve Sakoulos | Irving Park YMCA | 49 |
| 24. | Ken Covington | Boodley's Gym | 47 |
| 25. | Dan Howard | Univ. of Tulsa | 46½ |
| 26. | Bob McNeill | Don's HC | 46½ |
| 27. | John Kaczynski | Eastern Health Studio | 46 |
| 28. | James Kowalski | Pittsburgh Boys' Club | 46 |
| 29. | Flaubert Peltier | Boston YMCA | 44 |
| 30. | Ray Melendez | Fritshe's Gym | 41½ |
| 31. | George Papp | Buffalo, N. Y. | 38 |
MOST MUSCULAR
- Sergio Oliva
- Bob Gajda
- Dennis Tinerino
- Will Whitaker
- Ralph Kroger
SUBDIVISIONS
-
Best Abdominals - Dennis Tinerino
Best Arms - Sergio Oliva
Best Legs - Ralph Kroger
Best Back - Sergio Oliva
Best Chest - Will Whitaker
The 1966 Mr. America show was a huge success in all respects. John Terlazzo, the show director, and his organizing committee are certainly to be congratulated for making this the "best ever". For the first time in the 27-year history of the Mr. America Contest, the competition was conducted on a separate evening from the lifting contest. The show was not only attractive to bodybuilding enthusiasts, but to all persons, regardless of their interest or ages. Besides the subdivision, most muscular, and Mr. A posing competition there were numberous variety acts for young and old alike. Tumbling, karate, acrobatics, juggling, muscle control, hand balancing, and gilded artistry performances added greatly to the contest. As someone said as they left the York High School Auditorium, "This will be a tough act to follow."
Bob Gajda, the personable Chicago YMCA worker, captured the top honor in the Mr. America competition. He has everything that it takes to be a great Mr. America. Needless to say, he has the muscles, but he also creates a fine appearance and has an interest in the game that few others have possessed. Sergio Oliva was the runner-up for Mr. A and won the Most Muscular title as well as two subdivisions: "Best Back" and "Best Arms". Ralph Kroger was a very close third place finisher. He also won the "Best Legs" award and was fifth in the Most Muscular contest. Randy Watson and James Haislop were next in the top five. A full report on the competition and the show will be in next month's issue of Strength & Health.
(In the event of a tie the high and low scores of the judges were totaled to determine the winner.)
PHOTO CAPTIONS
- Bob Gajda, Mr. America of 1966
- Sergio Oliva, Ralph Kroger, Randy Watson, James Haislop, Dennis Tinerino, Will Whitaker
- Charles Estes, Tom Helms, Bill St. John