006 NPC Jr USA Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships
April 29, 2006
by gene x hwang
Charleston, SC, USA
Tres Bennett and Shannon Meteraud continue to put on the NPC Junior USAs and it was in Charleston, SC for the third year in a row providing some much needed consistency to a national-level show that had been bounced around a lot in the past and that never quite got the traction of other national shows.
With the dangling of two pro cards in figure, there was an expectedly large field of athletes competing for them.
Fitness did manage to have two full classes, but the combined number of competitors in them didn't even equal one of the height classes in figure. The overall was won by Christy Green who sports one of the more muscular physiques. Green had a strong routine that complimented her physique but it was Ashlynn Evans who swept both physique rounds although she ended up in fifth overall because of her routine placing last in both rounds She was handicapped though by the fact that during prejudging the lighting on stage wasn't dialed in when she did her routine, but was later adjusted after she had performed.
Michelle Theison took second and had some nice transitions in her routine, while Andrea Cloringer placed third. Rachel Patton was very tight and lean and got fourth just ahead of Evans.
In the tall class, Marlena Marquez swept the routine rounds with her high energy and strong stage presence, but Liza Hughes consistent placings across all the rounds earned her the class title. In third was Lishia Dean who showed off some impressive dance moves, and the muscular Leslie Rae Newton showed powerful moves to earn fourth place.
Sandi Stuart had a very nice physique, but had some stumbles in her routine and was injured and unable to perform at the evening finals but still managed to make the top five. Jo Marriner was one of the taller competitors but still managed to pop off some impressive presses and showed great balance on her hands.
In the bodybuilding, there was only one lightweight, Karen Geninatti from Illinois, so she was the de facto winner of the class, but she showed a physique that was deserving of the title. She was a bit disappointed that there were no other lightweights at a national level show. Perhaps if some of the figure athletes that were penalized for being too muscular competed in bodybuilding, there would have been a nice lightweight class.
In the middleweights, Heidi Bagwell from nearby Spartanburg, SC swept the class easily with her crisp conditioning and energetic stage presence. With fiery colored hair, she showed great enthusiasm in the posedown and was ecstatic when her name was announced as the overall winner.
Also in her class was Carrie Simmons who has crossed over from fitness. Simmons has a very nice shape and performed well as a bodybuilder, but just didn't have enough thickness to beat out Bagwell. It was nice to see her though competing in bodybuilding and hopefully we will see more follow her lead. The small class was rounded out by Rebecca Gore from Raleigh, NC.
The light heavies were a tough class as they always are at national shows. Annie Rivieccio had a girl in the show named Rachel McMillen who ended up taking the class. It was, however a battle of aesthetics vs. conditioning and muscularity. In second was Jennifer Myers who had nine pounds more of muscle and was harder than McMillen.
However, as was the case at the NPC USAs in 2005, shape won out as McMillen's lines and structure were rewarded. Lisa Guarenieri from Houston, TX was also very tight but placed third ahead of Cheri Owen, who's now working with Colette Nelson, and has been making steady improvements. Deborah Reboyras rounded out the class.
The heavies then took the stage and it was Kim Bergman who took the class. Again, it was the case of shape and aesthetics over conditioning. Kelly Washburn from Florida as well as Claire Zimmer were both tighter but they didn't have the shape and full muscularity that Bergman has developed. Both placed a single point apart and each received at least one first place vote.
With the two pro cards up for the taking, you knew it was going to be a popular show for figure athletes, and about 100 were out in force. Many who had competed at the Emerald Cup the week before were on hand as well as many new and fresh faces.
However, the judges made quite a statement both with their results and from the mouth of head judge Sandi Ranalli who berated the competitors in several instances for standing in too much of a flexed posture, at times telling the women literally to "relax - stop flexing!"
Luckily for the audience, there were only four classes although that made them each quite large. In Class A, Sonia Adco*k continues her strong run winning the class, and during finals, many in the audience thought she'd take the overall as well so they were surprised when she didn't do that nor take the second pro card, but she will no doubt turn pro later this year.
Ashlynn Evans did much better in figure and placed second ahead of Jessica Madden who was a local Charleston athlete. Californian Jennifer DeJoya took fourth, although she's fairly muscular and has some of the better calves in the class. Melissa Froio rounded out the top five in her national level debut. Froio possesses some impressive genetics so keep an eye out for her at Jr. Nationals.
Other notables in the class were Jill Knight who continues to be overlooked but comes in tight and has really nice shape, and Jennifer Gates was in the best shape of her life looking incredible. Her physique is able to carry muscle well, and she was extremely tight but that was what the judges were not looking for this time around.
If she had been on a pro stage, she would have fared better, and that seems to be the trouble often for athletes at national level shows when they look good enough to compete as a pro, but somewhat out of place in the amateur ranks. Kristie Newsome also had some nice calves and thickness throughout and she and Gates placed eighth and seventh respectively.
Class B was home to the second pro card winner, Leslie Morris.
Placing second to her though was Lois Powell who had a really impressive physique that was pretty thickly muscled throughout. Stacy Adams took third looking very close to her Emerald Cup winning physique and Tamara Amend took fourth and was very tight and hard. Fifth and sixth went to Becky Clawson and Angie Picerello and they were separated by just two points.
Others in the class included Jeni Hanson who was very lean and had some nice outer quad sweep, but was probably punished for her overly excellent conditioning as wel Denise Jensen who won her class the week before. Andrea Ferry looked tight and in shape with a nice v-taper as did Gina Ostarly who's tiny waist was hard to overlook. Amber Steinmetz was back on stage and looked good as well in placing seventh.
Class C was won by the elegant Elizabeth Lamm. Elisa Atchibold and Nola Trimble took second and third and fourth went to Tracy Guarino who was one of the more muscular and conditioned athletes in the class.
April Grant was also very lean and the crowd favorite as her entourage was the loudest of the evening complete with signage. Grant's back was really impressive with thick trap development.
Amanda Marinelli looked great as did Faith Lee who was one of the bigger and well muscled competitors. Christina O'Mara was now a blonde and showed nice muscularity although she wasn't able to compete in the evening finals due to sickness.
Jan Horn came in great shape and Erin Parrish was also looking tight, while Tiffany Rabon wasn't conditioned as well, but showed nice thickness and muscularity. Rebecca Slatt who also did well at the Emerald Cup placed a surprising 12th at this show, which made three of the class winners from the Emerald Cup not make the top five the following week.
In the tall class, Lisa Morton swept the scoresheets but was also one of the more muscular and conditioned girls. Local favorite Melissa Montanaro placed second ahead of Danielle Rouleau who keeps moving up the ranks quickly. Rouleau has some incredible leg development and definitely had the thickest most defined quads on stage.
Cheri Lewis and Jessica Wright rounded out the top five. Wright almost looks like the next Valerie Waugaman and should be someone to keep an eye on. Sixth went to Heathre Foster who made both first callouts, but just missed the top five. She looked a bit more full than the week before and that helped her improve her placing.
There were quite a few veteran competitors though in the class that many expected to place higher. Randi Post was someone everyone probably expected to be battling for the class win, and she stood next to Misty Green who's also a top national level contender. Avis Ware, Jamie Justin, Alia Anor and Stephanie McDonald were also well known athletes who weren't in the top five surprsingly and last week's Emerald Cup class champion Brandy Cooke wasn't pulled out until the fourth callout in the first round.
So after the pro cards were handed out, it looked like Jr Nationals will be an interesting show for the girls who will be competing there in figure. Should they tone it way down and not dial in their conditioning as well, or will the judges look for more crisp physiques?
One athlete who was called out for being too 'flexed' on stage went up to the judging panel for feedback after the competition as she had bought and rehearsed her training from Ranalli's own video. It seems the new more relaxed posing is now in effect though, so we shall see how that evolves this competitive season.
For the bodybuilders, some promising news could be that aesthetics are continuing to be rewarded for the most part. Having good shape and size is more important than coming in totally sliced, which might encourage some of those figure athletes who were penalized for their hard earned muscularity and conditioning to try bodybuilding. There definitely were maybe five to ten women who could have crossed over, and we hope to see more do so.
