After performing his Elvis impersonation, the Math Club representative was the winner of the Mr. Cerritos contest on March 18.

Art Catano was awestruck when he was announced as the winner of the contest.

“I was really surprised I won,” he said. “But I did put a lot of work and effort into my Elvis routine so I’m really happy.”

The Mr. Cerritos contest is one of the events during Hoe Down Days that consists of a questionnaire, bathing suit contest, and talent showcase by a male member of a campus club.

Although he was quite nervous about performing his Elvis impersonation in a Halloween costume his mother had made for him when he was 18 years old, he knew there was no going back on the routine.

“Elvis is the best. I was nervous but I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he stated.

The hardest part, he said, was getting into the costume, but “the shake came naturally.”

He had danced the Elvis routine before, back when he was 18, but  not in front of a wide audience.

“I was afraid they were going to laugh at me,” he joked nervously.

He had volunteered for this event in hopes to publicize the Math club.

“I figured why not,” he said, “not only would it give me a chance to publicize the math club, but it would also give me a chance to perform Elvis routine.”

Catano was not the only contestant nervous. Runner-up Bryan Barrera from the International Student Association was also self-conscious about participating.

“I was nervous because I hadn’t prepared anything until this morning,” he said.

He had come up with a song to dance to that morning, performed the routine on the spot without practice, borrowed some bathing suit trunks from another contestant during the competition, and had absolutely no clue as to what he would respond to the questions.

His girlfriend and psychology major Andrea Castillo thought it was funny, yet exciting to see her boyfriend Barrera on stage.

“I was excited for him and was happy that he won,” she said, “but I did think he was going to do more than what he performed.”

Although he was not prepared this year, Barrera said he would prepare better so that he may participate in next year’s contest.