Muslce Power, Vol 20 No 8, Page 25, November 1957

Ron Lacy Gains Double Victory at Daytona

"Most Muscular" and "Mr. America" Title Fall to 188 lb. Kentucky Jitterbug in Two-day Muscle Contest

by Charles Coster

FOR five years Ronald C. Lacy hoped and waited to win the MR. AMERICA crown before success came his way.

Via the underground we had been 'tipped' as to the probable winner for 1957 long before this contest took place, but not many people dreamed he would take the "Most Muscular" title as well because of his lack of real bodyweight.

The spacious Peabody Auditorium housed an ample, if non-critical audience, and their enthusiasm for well-muscled suntanned bodies could not be mistaken.

Ron Lacy is 27 years old, blond, with a golden colored skin. He works as a physical therapist at the University of Kentucky.

First three in the 'Most Muscular' event were 1st R. Lacy, 2nd T. P. Sansone, 3rd Gene Bohaty.

Sansone appeared to be substantially more muscular than Lacy because of his 6' 0" Height, 19" Arms and near 50" Chest.

Gene Bohaty has had a long association with weight-training, is 40 years of age, and looked extremely well. His good looks, lively personality, and well known lifting ability made him popular with the crowd.

The number of Most Muscular entries was somewhat lower than usual (17) and after the first eight or nine places - the fall away in quality was somewhat noticeable.

Many were interested to see Bruce Randall, the lifter who once weighted nearly 400 lbs., who has now reduced to a hard muscular 195 lbs.

Another bodybuilder showing up well for bulk, definition, and general carriage - was Pete Ganios of New York, who had taken off nearly 20 lbs. of weight for the two contests.

Lacy was delighted when the result of the 'Most Muscular' event was made known and behind the scenes cameras clicked and autograph hunters worked overtime.

He poses well, moves smoothly, is completely at home in front of an audience, and gives you the impression of being a real athlete.

These attributes of course enable him to make the most of himself . . . his well proportioned body conveying an impression of greater height and weight than actually were the case.

So ended the 'Most Muscular' event and the first leg of the National Olympic Lifting Championship - at midnight, which meant that press photographers and radio interviewers had to rush their work through pretty fast to meet commitments.

The Judges for the Most Muscular event were: Al Christiansen, John Terlazzo, Bob Hoffman, Leopoldo DeLeon, Alan O'Brien, Johnny Terpak and Enrico Jahne.

The main MR. AMERICA contest was held the following day, after the conclusion of the Heavyweight Olympic Lifting (June 23rd).

Entries were about the same as for the previous evening. Here are the placings of the first five Mr. America contestants: 1st Ron Lacy, 2nd Gene Bohaty, 3rd Harry Johnson, 4th Thomas P. Sansone, 5th Bill Golumbick.

The Mr. America judges were not announced to the audience, but they were probably similar to those for the Most Muscular event. There was a little delay in announcing the winner -- and certain sections of the crowd started to shout for Lacy.

The result was well received (with a little booing from those humorously inclined) while those in the audience not expert in such matters were content to learn from the experience.

As soon as the first three men mounted the rostrum - the crowd surged towards the footlights where the photographers were shooting pictures.

Muscles - tanned to a golden hue from sun-drenched Daytona beaches . . looked superb under arc-lights, as the three lucky winners gave the crowd everything they had in a sequence of streamlined poses that lasted for many minutes.

Muscles and tendons writhed and twisted at maximum capacity as cameras flashed and cine-films whirred - perpetuating the occasion.

These rare and brief moments are always 'great'. For the contestants it symbolized the climax of long arduous weeks of most careful and scientific preparation, and the zest of the audience helped them recapture some of the 'magic' they had maybe lost during those exacting final training sessions.

At such a time an audience can be lifted to a state of exhalted fervor -- and the well produced Daytona Beach production was no exception to the rule.

These contests are no longer limited to the 'mere Muscle' alone. All entrants at these affairs have to satisfy the judges about other things also.

They have to be tested upon -- eyesight, hearing, hair condition, general looks, teeth, skin texture, athletic ability, and general intelligence . . . as well as overall musculature. If you can pass all these test with flying colors - you are pretty good.

I feel that there will be no complaints about the 1957 Mr. America. He is perhaps not the greatest we have seen, when compared with the Grimek and Reeves era, but he is certainly a good titleholder.

Ron is not tall or heavy, is an Olympic lifter as well as a bodybuilder, and first developed an interest win weights about five years ago.

He is a good football player and sprinter -- as well as being a jitterbug enthusiast.

Past-times like these have probably influenced the grace and power of his leg development, trim waistline, and easy athletic carriage.

But for the full Ron Lacy story - you will have to wait a little longer. Next month we hope to tell you about him in Muscle Builder, including the exercises and weights he uses, together with his system of training, which is identical with the modern methods advocated by the Weider System in our magazines for so long.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

- Ron Lacy, center, winner of "Mr. America" title at Daytona Beach, Florida. Left 2nd Gene Bohaty, 3rd Harry Johnson. Aside - Ronald is posed with trophies. He won the Most Muscualr award as well.

- Nr. 15 Tom Sansone of New York . . . Nr. 10 Ron Lacy of Kentucky . . . Nr. 8 Harry Johnson of Atlanta.

- Second in the Most Muscular event - Tom Sansone displays his impressive muscularity. Ne is 6' 1" and has 19 inch arms.

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