A contest t
radition has to begin somewhere. All the events we now treasure as 'must see' shows on the annual contest schedule had, in many cases, humble and even unheralded beginnings. But over the years, they grow. They gain a reputation among the fans and competitors based on how the event was presented and promoted. The strong survive and even flourish.
The 2014 NPC/IFBB San Jose Championships was presented on July12th courtesy of longtime Northern California promoter Steve O'Brien and co-promoter George Jackson. O’Brien and Jackson took the reins from Paul Love with the assurance the contest would continue to be one of the must-see events on the annual Northern California contest schedule.
With Love promoting this contest since 1981 and for over 30 years producing a show that saw previous winners such as pro Michelle Ivers-Brent in 1986 and Olympian Valerie Gangi in 1992, the first item of business was to add IFBB pro events. So, this year comes with a new tradition, as both pro men's and women's Physique divisions shared the stage with the already well-established NPC contest. With Evogen, NutriShop, and Cyber Bodyshop as title sponsors, a field of 13 women from coast to coast as well as Canada and Brazil made their collective way to this inaugural event. More will no doubt follow in the future.
From Last To First – Gotta Love It!
Chicago's LaDrissa Bonivel can stand proud as the pro Physique division's latest poster girl for perseverance and the desire to 'keep on keepin on'. A former Figure competitor who didn't even register on the radar at the 2005 NPC USA, she stayed at it and in 2011 she won her class at the same NPC USA… only this time as a Physique competitor. But that's not the end of the story, in fact, it's only the beginning. Bonivel was one of the adventurous 11 women who entered the first-ever pro women's Physique division contest – the 2012 Desert Muscle Classic – in Arizona. She finished 11th. That would be dead last.
Bonivel competed four more times that year, with a pair of 9th place finishes to go with a 10th and a 12th. Needless to say it wasn't a chart-topping season for her. In 2013 she compete
d three more times, never cracking the top ten. So when she began the 2014 competitive year with a 15th place finish at the Europa Supershow in Dallas, most competitors in her mindset might have chalked it up to just another forgettable placing. But things changed with her entry in the Wings of Strength in her Chi Town hometown two months later. She carved out a very respectable sixth place spot in a large and very competitive field. Apparently it lit her flame.
And with the coming of the San Jose Pro WPD, Bonivel flew west to see how she'd stack up against a field of 12 challengers. Okay, so given her previous contest history – that’s 10 contests where she missed placing in the top five in all of them – what would the Vegas odds be that she would pull out a victory? The chances would have fallen somewhere between slim, fat and none.
Yet, LaDrissa Bonivel was the last competitor standing. She flexed her way to a very big win. It was her first pro victory. She collected $2,000 in prize money. AND she earned that coveted invite to the upcoming Physique Olympia in Las Vegas. All of that surely seems like a long way from that historic contest in the desert 2 1/2 years ago. As many would attest, at any competition someone has to finish last. But now LaDrissa Bonivel can also add that someone also has to finish first. Does it get any better than that?
With LaDrissa Bonivel getting the unanimous nod of the judges for the victory, runner-up Carrie Simmons also made a strong statement with a unanimous finish in second. From Los Angeles, Simmons made her way to the pro ranks by way of the Fitness division, placing second at the NPC Team Universe in 2010. In her first two contests as a pro, Simmons toiled in the very competitive Fitness division before switching to Physique in 2012. Her transition was a smooth one and in her five pro contests to date she has always placed within the top ten. The runner-up finish earned her $1,000 in prize money and four points towards the Olympia Qualification Series. It also stands as her best showing since turning pro.
Most interesting is how Simmons entered the Fitness and Physique competitive worlds. In 2003 Simmons attended the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts and became a professional aerial acrobat performing with 'Air Play', Philadelphia's own company of professional aerial acrobats. The high-level strength and kinesthetic awareness needed for those performances goes without saying. And they have served her well as both a Fitness and Physique competitor.
Of the top three finishers, third-placer Heather Grace has taken the shortest route to a top three placing after competing in Figure events as an amateur. From Denver, Grace won the 2010 NPC Emerald Cup, before earning her pro card in 2011 at the NPC Junior USA. The same year she made her pro Figure debut at the Sheru Classic in India, placing 11th. Since then, Grace has made a concerted effort to put those Figure results in her rearview mirror. And in making her debut as a Physique competitor it looks like she's well on her way, with an excruciatingly good back double biceps pose that rested nicely atop those full moons they call glutes!
At 5’4” and weighing in the 125-pound range when she was competing in Figure, her structure was sound enough and her musculature was never in doubt. So after taking 2013 away from the competitive stage, she has returned as a full-fledged Physique competitor ready to make more of a mark in this division than she did in Figure. To get started she pocketed $500 in prize money and earned three points in the Olympia Qualification Series.
After the top three
finishers, there was, for lack of a better term, a log jam in placings four through six. With Californian Akane Nigro-Ismeal and Brazil's Ana Paula DaSilva tied at 15 points apiece, a judges’ count-back gave Ismeal the edge and the fourth place finish. With half Italian and half Japanese heritage, Ismeal may be one of the more underrated Physique competitors based on pure genetic structure and muscle shapes from head to toe. She displays a very pleasing structure and bodylines. Turning pro after winning her Figure class at the 2009 NPC USA, Ismeal has competed sparingly.
Switching to Physique in 2012, Ismeal finished 5th at the California Governor’s Cup and 10th at the Europa Super Show in Dallas last year. Ismeal's placing here is her best as a pro, and she could easily be considered a 'sleeper' with excellent potential to challenge for a top placing when she fully awakens!
Tied with Akane Nigro-Ismeal at 15 points, Ana Paula DaSilva claimed 5th place in the final tallies. For those with a short memory, DaSilva placed third behind Jennifer Robinson and Danielle Reardon at the St. Louis Pro back in March (the first WPD Pro event of the year). DaSilva brings the unmistakably dark and exotic Brazilian flare to her competitions with all bodyparts at full throttle. From traps to calves she's very complete. With the style of physique that will enable her to be competitive at any event, DaSilva was the runner-up in the lightweight class at the Arnold Amateur in 2013. She has also competed in the IFBB World Amateur Championships as a bodybuilder. With her single point for fifth here, she now has 4 points towards Olympia Qualification in the Points Series.
Just one point outside the top five was mega-veteran competitor Claire O'Connell. A powerlifting teenybopper in the early 80's, O'Connell (Claire Bullis in those days) finished third in the 1984 Superbowl of Bodybuilding – one of her earliest bodybuilding entries. By 1987 she had won the NPC Teen Nationals. Competing on and off over the next several years, O'Connell really hit her stride in 2006 with overall wins at the NPC Contra Costa and NPC California before winning the lightweight class at the NPC USA.
Still chasing her goal of turning pro in 2010, she once again won the LW class at the NPC USA, and followed up with an overall Masters victory at the IFBB North American to finally earn her pro status. The pro level proved difficult for the feisty lightweight where she finished 10th in her pro debut at the 2011 Battle of Champions, followed by a tie for 16th at the Tampa Pro. Competing at the San Jose event – and for the first time in nearly three years – O'Connell may have found a friendlier competitive atmosphere in the Physique division where her diminutive stature won't be an issue. It was great to see her back… and competitive.
Outside The Top Six
7- Patricia Wood, California 21
8- Loan Leonard, California 25
9- Margarita Charaim, Illinois 26
10- CeaAnna Kerr, Canada 31
11- Gloria Faulls, New Jersey 32
12- Marga Overby, Washington 37
13- Jennifer Conn, California 38
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