The first part of the 2010 USARPS chAMPionships sponsored by AMP Energy can be seen at http://www.usarps.com and at MTVU.com

Watch the 2010 chAMPionships part 1

Check out MTVU on campus this week for the first part of the USARPS 2010 chAMPionships sponsored by AMP Energy.

The segment will be posted online at MTVU.com and USARPS.com shortly after the first airing.

Yo Quiero 25K!

It’s a bright sunny morning in Acapulco.  14 Student-Athletes from around the country have gathered in Mexico to face off for $25,000 in tuition money courtesy of AMP Energy.  But these campus champions will have to beat the hundreds of Spring Breakers vying for the very same prize.  In just a few hours wildcard registration will begin and based on the pickup games I witnessed by the pool and on the beach, the competition is going to be fierce!  The AMP is chilling on ice, the MTV cameras are being prepped and if you listen carefully, you can hear the knuckles cracking in anticipation of the very first throw.  It’s on in Acapulco!  The 2010 USARPS AMP chAMPionship begins soon.

Everyone is getting into the spirit – check out AMP Energy Snowboarders Hannah Teter and Keir Dillon facing off in a little RPS action down at Spring Break.  These two awesome athletes can rock the mountain and  the beach!

14 Camps Finalists… they’re headin’ to Mexico

Our fourteen campus champions are packing up and getting ready for Acapulco where they will play for a shot at a $25,000 scholarship at the 2010 USARPS AMP chAMPionships.

Good luck!

Gregory Jason Avalone, Arizona State University
Christopher Joseph Miller, Colorado State University
Nicolas Alonzo, CSU – Chico
John Dennis Stover, Kansas State University
Andrew John Richard, Northern Iowa University
Jayme Garrett Nauman, Oklahoma State University
Ashley N. Plumaker, Rutgers University
Felicia M. Moniz, Syracuse University
James Andrew Hawk, University of Alabama
Matthew Witt, University of Maryland
Casey James Fankhauser, University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Nicholas Andrew Caporale, University of Texas
Renae Ellison, University of Wyoming
David Shervin Farajollahi, Virginia Commonwealth

Acapulco, here we come!

The 2010 USARPS AMP chAMPionships is just a few days away… our campus champions are booked and ready to go. What skilled players will win wildcard spots at MTV’s Spring Break??? We’ll know soon. Check out this blog, http://www.usarps.com and @usarps on twitter for updates.

2010 chAMPionships… in Acapulco

The 2010 AMP Energy USARPS chAMPionships are just around the corner. Stay tuned for updates, photos and more from MTV’s Spring Break in Acapulco!

USARPS chAMPionships – The Video

Ok- so you noticed that there has been no coverage of the final match… well, its because no one likes a spoiler…

The folks at MTV have asked us not to overtly publicize the winner- even though it’s not really a secret and anyone who read the front page story in the LA Times already has a pretty good idea who is enjoying the added tuition assitance next year.  More details after the finals air on March 31.

You can watch the first week’s video that aired on MTVU on 3/24 at www.usarps.com

Check out photos from the week 2 semifinals below.  (Especially the one where Commissioner Matti Leshem slices through MTV VJ Kim Stolz’s paper!)

Commission Leshem schools MTV VJ Kim Stolz

Official Ref Skye holds court

The crowd at the finals

Backstage before the finals

Commissioner Leshem with Week 1 Winner, Naco.

The final 4 from week 2

USARPS chAMPionship – DAY 6

No, you’re not missing Day 5 … the action at Panama City Beach was too intense to get a blog entry for day 5, so we’re skipping right to day 6. (Yes, I mean the RPS action-  thank you very much)

Let me catch you up.

Week 2 is a shorter week for the USARPS chAMPionships with qualifying competitions spanning Monday and Tuesday, leading up the finals on Wednesday.

On Monday we were Roshamboing with mother nature as she threaten Panama City Beach with thunderstorms.   But a few clouds and an occasional drizzle couldn’t stop the masses here in Florida.  Spring Breakers packed the AMP – USARPS booth on the beach and 5 semifinalists emerged.

Tuesday was all about finding that final fist to fill the semis for a shot at 20 grand for tuition.  That final fist was attached to the arm of Josh “Stone Thrower” Stone from Oklahoma.  He claimed his berth- shockingly – with a rock and moved on to the round of sixteen played later last night. 

Ten campus winners joined our six beach qualifiers in the lobby of the Boardwalk Resort Hotel.  16 players entered knowing full well that only 4 would survive to play on stage ahead of the NERD / FLO RIDA show on Wednesday.  And of those 4, only one would face off against Naco, our winner from week 1.

Highlights from the round of 16-

“Sunny” Patel from Rutgers eliminated “Quick Draw” Haynes from U of Maryland in just 2 throws.

Vanessa “Loch Nessa” Gomez schooled “Brown Sugar” Navarro.

“El Presidente” from Alabama stopped the music for “Happy Feet” Godsey from Tennessee.

Tricky Nikki Vaverka from Oklahoma smashed “Scissorhands” Sturges from Iowa.

Joey Smashwell… smashed well and cleaned up “the Janitor” for Colorado State.

 

We were left with 8, but we only needed four-

3 of our final matched went down to the last possible throw.  In the end, moving on the the stage are:

John “Stone Thrower” Stone from Oklahoma, Arkady “RKD” Sokolov from Rutgers, Creighton “El Presidente” Rhodes from Alabama and Joey Smashwell from Georgia Southern.

These four student athletes will play down to one Wednesday afternoon. That one man will play “Naco” Monaco from Syracuse for $20,000 in tuition.  It’s gonna be good.

Week 2 – Final Four

The final four celebrate

Loch Nessa vs. RKD

semifinalist “Stone Thrower” Stone

Luck of the Irish?

Decked out in green for St. Patrick’s day

Celebration

A Smothering paper

The Moment before the throw

RPS BFF

World class ref – Skye E.

The rush to get into the action

AMPing up while in line to sign up

Oh, you have a camera?!

USARPS chAMPionships- DAY 4

Day 4 of the USARPS chAMPionship at MTVU’s spring break in Panama City Beach, FL and our first finalist has won a spot.  But before he is revealed, let me tell you how he got there.

Wednesday night our campus finalists joined the MTVU finalists to take the week one field from 16 down to 8.

Thursday morning our eight remaining players gathered in Salon B for a pre-game meeting with producers just as thousands of student gathered around the stage on the beach in anticipation of the finals… and the Kid Cuddi and Lil Wayne show.

By the time the group of  8 hit the stage there were an estimated 20,000 screaming spring breakers in the audience- plus dozens of their supporters cheering them on from behind the ring.

8 became 4 and 4 become 2.  It all came down to Jonathan “Naco” Monaco fro Syracuse U  and Ryan “the Sheriff” from Wabaunsee College.  Naco took an early lead winning the first game and then the first point of the second game in our best of three games final. But the Sheriff was on duty and battled back to win the next 3 throws- tying it  up at a game a piece and going up 1-0 in the final game. Naco returned fire with a rock and tied it up.  it came down to one throw; one final throw for a return trip next week and one match for $20,000 for tuition.

The mechanical engineering major from Syracuse must have brought his homework with him, b/c he whipped out a paper and covered the Sheriff’s rock.  And in front of a cheering crowd clinched his spot in next week’s finals.

On Monday it all starts again with spring breakers competing for a spot on stage with 10 more campus finalists. Stay tuned when we resume coverage on Monday!

RPS fans flash their scissors

Naco wins the week one semifinal

The Table’s-eye view

Thousands in the crowd

The Ref and the crowd

The 8 Semifinalists from week 1 (plus ring girls)

Sassy Cassy Fans

USARPS chAMPionships – DAY 3

Day 3 of the USARPS League college chAMPionships at MTVU’s Spring Break started off fairly relaxed.  Our 16 semifinalists had qualified- with our seven MTVU winners nursing their hangovers and our nine campus winners flying in to compete.  Everyone enjoyed the concerts with Asher Roth and Jim Jones. Both artists rocked- which of course we like. (Though a pretty obvious throw from a couple of guys…)

By the later afternoon things we heating up.  There was a stage blocking rehearsal for the on-stage competition and everyone got a taste of what it will be like on Thursday.  Then it was time for some action as we hit the hotel lobby for part one of the semis.  We took the bracket down from 16 to 8 with more than half of the matches coming down to a final possible throw.

On Thursday the 8 remaining players will face off on stage before the Lil Wayne show and a crowd of thousands. The on fist standing will be flown back to face next week’s winner for one match worth $20,000!

And… we’re live…

Ready or not for your close-up, here we come.

I must break you.

“Scissors Me Timber” throws an uncraddled rock.