Schools

There He Is, Mr. Holmdel

Dane Yelenscics wins a hilarious Holmdel High competition that included the modeling of Snuggies on a runway and impromptu dance-offs. Written by Alicia Lai, HHS sophomore.

 

Ten Holmdel juniors and seniors showed off their charisma and talents in the first annual Mr. Holmdel pageant.

The event was organized by Ms. Cibelli, head cheerleading coach and Spanish teacher at Holmdel High School, and made possible by HHS’s Football and Cheerleading Association.

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On May 3, an audience of over two hundred laughed and cheered as the ten boys competed for the grand prize of $200 and the title of “Mr. Holmdel.”

The pageant featured Andre Caban (sr.), Christopher Germinario (sr.), Dylan Hyland (sr.), Salvatore Leonardi (sr.), Sean O’Neill (sr.), Eric Scamardella (sr.), Matt Staniforth (jr.), Anthony Trento (sr.), Christian Vikse (sr.), and Dane Yelenscics (jr.).

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The night was emceed by Paige Alwell (jr.) and Brianna Varrone (jr.), and the winners were decided by a panel of five judges, Mr. Cahill, Ms. Caliendo, Ms. Mulhern, Ms. Kousoulis, and Mr. Weisfeld – all teachers at Holmdel High School.

The event was kicked off in the auditorium with the beachwear competition, followed by the sleepwear competition.

The boys walked the makeshift runway in Snuggies, bathrobes, and other amusing attire for this portion of the pageant.

The next competition, the talent show, was the biggest hit with audience and featured the contestants lip-syncing and dancing to well-known songs, such as Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song,” as well as displaying other talents such as martial arts.

During a short break, Mr. Cahill and Mr. Weisfeld also showed off their talents in an impromptu dance-off. The pageant was concluded with the boys walking the runway again in formal wear escorted by their beautiful dates.

The judges awarded the title of “Mr. Holmdel” and the $200 to Dane Yelenscics, whose rendition of Napoleon’s dance routine from Napoleon Dynamite was a highlight of the talent show.

Three other winners were also named. “Mr. Muscles” went to Salvatore Leonardi, “Most Talented” went to Anthony Trento and “Most Crowd Support” went to Eric Scamardella.  Each additional winner received a generous $50 in prize money as well.

The fundraiser also generated a nice amount for the cheerleading and football teams, but the biggest winners of the night were by far the members of the audience, who were smiling and laughing throughout and having a blast the entire night.

Ms. Cibelli plans to continue the pageant for the years to come, and she hopes that, with the success of Mr. Holmdel, a second event, the Battle of the Classes, can also be introduced to Holmdel High School next year.


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