Libby natives tear it up at fitness competition

Three Libby residents placed in the 2014 Big Sky Championships in Missoula on May 3.

Byron O’Bleness earned the top spot in his class, Chase Hoyer earned a third-place finish and Eve Cowin placed sixth. The competition was hosted by the National Physique Committee and took place at the University of Montana’s Dennison Theater.

The National Physique Committee is one of the largest amateur bodybuilding organizations in the United States that hosts both local and national competitions. This local competition called for participants from Montana, Idaho and Washington and attracted more than 150 competitors.

O’Bleness has been lifting weights for years; however, he entered the competition with only 10 weeks of preparation with a trainer and placed first in men’s physique (5’7” – 5’9”). There were seven competitors in the same class as O’Bleness, who at most was hoping to place in the top five. Each competitor was assigned a ranking, one through seven, for several categories. The category scores were added up to obtain each competitor’s final score. Like golf, the lower the score, the better.  

With a final score of six, O’Bleness was surprised to take home the trophy.  

“Disbelief. It was a shocker, I was not expecting that,” O’Bleness said.

O’Bleness, 35, worked out twice a day and maintained a very strict diet to prepare for the competition. Before beginning his preparation, he weighed roughly 200 pounds and entered the competition at 168 pounds. For the competition O’Bleness conducted several poses in front of a panel of judges.

Despite his surprise success, O’Bleness said he does not have plans to compete again. He said he’s always been interested in bodybuilding competitions and wanted to participate at least once. Doing so was on his “bucket list,” he said.

“I’m not ruling it out but I don’t have any immediate plans to,” O’Bleness said.

Cowin, 40, who has also been working out for years, entered the event with six months of training specific to the competition and placed sixth in master’s bikini event for women 40 and older. There were seven competitors in Cowin’s class. Cowin said she was hoping to do better. Cowin finished the competition with a score of 30. The first place winner in this category walked away with a score of 7.

“I was a little disappointed,” Cowin said. “I knew that my nerves got the best of me, and that is what messed it up for me.”

Cowin trained for the competition by working out about five or six times a week, doing cardio, sticking to a strict diet and hiring a personal trainer. During the training process, Cowin lost approximately 28 pounds and entered the competition at 130 pounds. She competed in a custom-made bikini and was required to pose with clear, five-inch high heels.

“Support from friends and family is key,” Cowin added. “My husband, Guy, was my biggest supporter. I couldn’t have done this without my trainer, Jon, and his wife, Shawna Buettner, from Big Jon Fitness in Boise. Jodi Williams got me started on this journey, and her success has encouraged quite a few people to join, including Byron O’Bleness.”

Cowin fared better in a competition in Spokane — the Empire Classic — the following week, taking sixth place out of a field of 10 competitors. She also has plans to compete in an upcoming fitness competition this fall that will be taking place in Spokane. Her goal is to place in the top five.

“I know what I need to do now,” Cowin said. “I’m going to keep doing competitions and keep doing better.”

Hoyer, 20, entered the competition with only three weeks of preparation. Hoyer has worked out regularly for most of his life and prepared for the competition by changing his diet. He placed third in junior mens' physique in a field of seven competitors.

“I was nervous going in,” Hoyer said. “I was hoping to place in the top five, it being my first competition.”

Hoyer walked away with a score of 19. First place won with a score of eight. Hoyer said he weighed 187 pounds prior to the competition and walked on stage weighing 174.

The competition required contestants to stand on stage and conduct numerous poses. Judges instructed the contestants to strike front poses, side and back poses, all while flexing and smiling for the duration of the judging. There was a pre-judging session in the morning followed by another on-stage posing period. Both occurred in front of an audience.

“The most difficult part was trying to constantly pose and smile at the judges while dealing with that spray tan,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer plans to compete in more fitness competitions, including an upcoming competition in Missoula this fall.