Shenanigans highlight Mr. Austin
Published 10:00 am Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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Austin High School boys hoist Garrison Meyer into the air as he is crowned Mr. Austin 2011 Monday night. -- Matt Peterson/matt.peterson@austindaily herald.com
After all the shenanigans were said and done, Garrison Meyer was named 2011 Mr. Austin at Austin High School’s Knowlton Auditorium Monday night.
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Lucas Nagle, one of nine Mr. Austin contestants, attempts to play the harmonica and accordion at the same time during the talent portion of the contest.
Nine competitors from AHS showed off silly talents along with ridiculous workout wear and date wear during the hour-long contest that has been a tradition for more than a decade. The group opened by jumping around aimlessly to Disney songs in pink T-shirts before breaking into individual performances, duos and groups.
As always, the competitors had creative bribes for the judges, such as stuffed animals, portraits and pieces of firewood. The contestants had the crowd laughing with covers of Johnny Cash, Elton John, Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer and more.
“The Mr. Austin pageant seems to be something that our students look forward to,” said Emily Hovland, adviser to youth leadership in Austin.
She noted how her ninth-graders are often talking about what they will do when they become seniors.
Some of this year’s performances featured Lucas Nagle attempting to play the accordion and harmonica while wearing a suit and sunglasses, Alex Mueller playing the piano in a suit coat and underwear and a group of four covered completely in red, dancing to hip hop.
But it was Garrison Meyer, or Mr. Johnny Cash, who stole the most votes from the judges. His duo performance with Ryan Larson, grim reaper workout wear and nerd-ish date outfit with a propeller cap and stuffed puppy were all crowd-pleasers.
Last spring’s Mr. Austin, Fernando Garcia, showed up to crown Meyer before the field of competitors raised him in celebration.
“You could tell afterward, they were proud of the show they put on,” Hovland said.
The show is always a community fundraiser, as well as drive for the Red Cross and local food shelf. This year’s pageant raised $1,220, and the Youth Leadership Group will decide when and to whom to donate the money.
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A group of Austin high schoolers dance to hip hop during the talent portion of the 2011 Mr. Austin contest.