‘Mr. Triathlon’ David Morse comes out on top
Spandex, lip syncing and kung-fu fighting were just a few of the things that students enjoyed in the Glenn Miller Ballroom on Friday night, as eight contestants competed in the third annual Mr. CU contest.
The lucky winner was Mr. Triathlon, also known as David Morse, a junior mechanical engineering major.
“It’s so surreal (that I won),” said Morse after being crowned the 2006 Mr. CU. “I signed up lightheartedly with no expectations. I am pleasantly surprised right now.”
Morse received a $1000 grand prize, of which he gets to keep half; the other half is given to the student group or charity of his choice.
“I plan on giving my winnings to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation. I lived in Sumatra for a while and discovered that orangutans there are near extinction, and I don’t ever want them to become an extinct species,” said Morse.
The first runner up is given $500 and the second runner up is given $250.
However, winning was the last thing on many of the contestant’s minds. Most of the contestants signed up for Mr. CU for a good time and some laughs, and there were plenty throughout the show.
“I signed up because I thought it would be a good time and just to know that I could do it,” said Mr. Pike, Jason Peck, a freshman open-option major who was the first runner-up in the competition.
“I had a really great time, and I got some dough out of it,” said David Henke, a junior biochemistry major and second runner-up as Mr. Tae Kwon Doe.
Audience members also enjoyed the show and had a great time watching the contestants strut their stuff.
“It was very entertaining. I had an awesome (time), and it was a great way to spend a Friday night. Plus, Mr. CU is extremely attractive,” said Amelia Ralphe, a sophomore biochemistry major.
Mr. CU was started in 2004 by the CU Herd, one of the largest CU student groups on campus, and has gotten larger and more popular each year, according to Drew Frank, a member of the CU Herd and a senior humanities major.
Other contestants in this year’s competition included Mr. Sing-atra, Mr. Sugar Hill and Mr. Piano Man.
