The battle lines were drawn Saturday as eating warriors from around North America faced off in a clash of iron-clad stomachs and heroic willpower.

But for the university's personal gladiator, junior food science major Brian "Eatin'" Keaton, a plate of fast food turned out to be his Achilles' heel.

Keaton took fifth place in the eating competition Saturday in San Diego at the Collegiate Nationals, a collection of college-themed competitions that also included sports such as beach volleyball, wakeboarding, boxing and weightlifting.

The eating competition required the seven contestants to eat as many plates of two half-pound hamburgers, a jumbo hot dog and a quarter-pound of fries as they could in seven minutes. Keaton, in what he called his hardest competition yet, made it through two plates. By contrast, the winner of the contest, who hailed from Canada, ate three-and-a-half plates.

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