Cutting rules Clayton Classic

Derek Cutting showed up with the most defined muscles to clinch the overall bodybuilding crown in last Saturday’s Dee Clayton Championships at the Charley’s Cabaret of the Pacific Islands Club.

Derek Cutting shows off his winning physique to take the overall crown in the bodybuilding category of last Saturday’s Dee Clayton Championships at the Pacific Islands Club’s Charley’s Cabaret. (Jon Perez)

Cutting, a fitness coach and nutritionist, was the judges’ and crowd’s overall choice and he went on to beat Saipan World Resort gym instructor Alvin Rebong and Jun Riodique in the fourth edition of the annual bodybuilding tournament.

Cutting, competing as a middleweight, is fresh from a second place finish in the 2015 Guam Fitness National Championships held last September at the Leo Palace in Guam. Rebong and Riodique were listed in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Cutting also received the Best Abs (abdominal muscles) award.

Aside from bodybuilding, the Dee Clayton Classic also held competitions in the Figure, Physique, Fitness, and Bikini categories.

Chomstar Gordon successfully defended her women’s Figure title beating Jennifer Cui in the hotly contested event. Cui settled for the runner-up honors, while singer-turned-fitness buff Joy Trinidad came in at third in her first competition.

Cui got the better of Gordon in the female Open Fitness category with Catherine Regalado finishing third.

Enrico Valdez was the men’s overall Physique champion, prevailing against Alberto Roberto and veteran Ben Tabin, who earned the Masters title. Valdez, who was also given the Best Poser special award, won in his two-cornered fight for the men’s Open crown against Roberto.

In other results, the female Junior Fitness category attracted seven participants with six vying for the Tall Class. Nishi Dubrall topped the Short Class, while Tonya Lizama won the Tall Class title with Zoey Cruz coming in second and Emily Ngeskebei placing third. Kierah Lee, Angela Barbo, and Tawny Ngeskebei finished fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

Jonas Barcinas was the chief judge of the night’s event and was joined by last year’s overall bodybuilding event winner Aaron Tomokane, Olivia Tenorio, and Guam bodybuilder Mike Duay at the judges’ table.

Barcinas said programs like this promote a healthier lifestyle in the CNMI. “It’s great to have a healthy lifestyle. We hope more people support and create programs like this.”

Tomokane said it was a different feeling being the judge this time compared to competing on stage. “It feels weird. But I know what these guys went through just to compete.”