Student athletes gathered last night not on the field, on the court or on the track, but on the stage in HUB Heritage Hall.
Twenty-nine athletes participated in the first Mr. and Miss Student-Athlete Pageant.
Mark McKnight of men's wrestling was named Mr. Student Athlete, and Shana Cox of women's track and field was awarded the title of Miss Student Athlete.
All proceeds from ticket sales for the event went to Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. Although a final total had not been calculated as of press time, Linsey Shea, Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) communications captain for Thon, said the event raised an estimated $1,000-$1,500.
One female and one male athlete were chosen from each sport to compete in the event.
Steve Avery (senior-actuarial science) was chosen to represent cheerleading.
"We're usually so busy, and it's tough for us to get involved with Thon," Avery said. "This is a night for us to get together and do something worthwhile."
To open the event, student athletes performed a dance that they learned 20 minutes before the show started.
Athletes then answered Penn State trivia questions such as "What were the original Penn State colors?" and "What year did Penn State join the Big Ten Conference?"
Another part of the competition included athletes wearing formal wear while answering "would you rather?" questions.
The Lionettes and Mattie Leon, who sang and played guitar, provided the entertainment.
During the second half of the competition, athletes showcased talents such as juggling, singing and dancing. One contestant ate an Oreo cookie off her forehead while reciting the Hebrew alphabet.
For the final competition of the night, athletes came out in athletic wear and struck a pose.
There were 11 guest judges for the event. One of the judges was Thon overall chairman Dan Cocco.
SAAB president Jenny Shular said the SAAB executive board decided to hold a pageant this year instead of a date auction, which they usually use as a fundraiser.
"We needed another fundraiser, and we wanted to do something fun and new," Shular said.
McKnight is currently facing charges stemming from a downtown fight that include simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment.
