Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: News

If you've ever struggled to scarf down all 1,200 calories of a Chipotle burrito, you know finishing it is quite an accomplishment. Unless, that is, you are Brian "Eatin'" Keaton, who can down three.

In ten minutes.

As a member of the Association of Independent Competitive Eaters, Keaton, a junior food science major, has competed in Connecticut, New York and Virginia, eating anything from cheese steaks to Jamaican beef patties - though hot dogs are his specialty.

"I pretty much try to eat as much as I can without killing myself," Keaton said.

Next month, Keaton is taking his gorging game to the next level when he competes in the North American Collegiate Eating Championship in San Diego. The televised event will feature eating gurus from colleges around the nation, with the winner taking home $1,000. The dish of choice is not yet determined, though Keaton expects typical college fare, like plates of burgers, fries, chicken fingers or even Ramen noodles.

"I think being in college is the best time to do this stuff," Keaton said. "There is lots of free time, cheap food, you're super active, and a lot of my friends like watching me do it."

But greasy college food doesn't cut it on Keaton's training menu. Instead he opts for large amounts of vegetables, saying low-calorie foods are the key to staying healthy in his kind of sport.

Now that the national competition is coming up, Keaton will train three to four times a week by eating four pounds of green beans, a large dinner - usually consisting of a large bowl of pasta or casserole - and a gallon of water a day.

At the university, Keaton competes in an annual South Street Steaks contest, last year coming in third by eating 5 1/4 cheesesteaks. He also likes to compete casually with his friends.

Those friends, however, have long given up trying to best the chow champion.

"I've tried to challenge him before," said Jason Kraus, a sophomore criminology and criminal justice major. "I had to stop halfway through what we were eating and say, 'I'm not doing it.' Anyone can eat 14 hot dogs over the course of a day, but when he does it under 10 minutes, that's ridiculous."

Kraus recalled losing track of Keaton late one weekend night, only to find him eating a whole pizza by himself in Ratsies.

Friends with Keaton since freshman year, junior animal sciences major Pranav Chawla ordered a 5-5-5 Dominoes deal the first week of school with Keaton, who finished his entire pizza before Chawla completed his second slice.

Continued...

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