GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — The NCAA Basketball Tournament isn't the only madness this March. Another bracket tournament is marching its way into West Michigan—and it includes a competitor from the John Ball Zoo.
Chester the Magellanic penguin is going head-to-head with 47 other penguins from around the globe in the annual "March of the Penguin Madness" tournament.
The tournament is hosted by Penguin International and takes place over five weeks beginning on Sunday, March 17. The 48 penguins will compete against one another in three-day rounds of voting to see who moves on to the next round.
John Ball Zoo's competitor is a true all-star, the zoo said. Chester is the oldest penguin at the zoo, turning 33 in May. He stands at two feet tall and weighs just over eight pounds.
Chester was recruited from Seaworld in 2002 and the zoo says that his quiet nature and calm demeanor has earned him the title of MVP, which we assume means "Most Valuable Penguin."
“Chester has experience and knows what it takes to win,” said David Blaszkiewicz, senior zookeeper at John Ball Zoo. “He’s known for his swift speed at tip-off to capture his vitamin herring before any of the other penguins. Then he backs out beyond the arc, ready to catch the rest of his food thrown to him at a distance.”
Chester is no stranger to adversity either. He suffered a stroke in 2022 but had a speedy recovery.
“Chester overcame heaps of adversity,” Blaszkiewicz said. “But he worked hard and is back to being our go-to guy because he always gives 110%. The Zoo’s animal care team admires Chester’s resilience and strength. He’s the MVP everyone knows and loves.”
Chester will be taking on "Friend" in the first round of the tournament. This matchup is an interesting one as well, because Friend was born and raised at John Ball Zoo before moving to the Jacksonville Zoo and Garden.
In addition to all of West Michigan throwing their support behind Chester, his penguin partner, Erin, will be rooting for him in the tournament. John Ball Zoo says that these two "make an adorable power couple."
You can vote for Chester beginning on Sunday. Votes are counted on the Penguin International website, Facebook page and Instagram page. John Ball Zoo encourages you to vote on each platform in each round of the tournament.
“Chester is one of the best players, not only at John Ball Zoo, but in the whole conference,” Blaszkiewicz said. “Now is time for the fans to step up to back Chester and help us win this tourney.”
You can learn more about March of the Penguins Madness here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.