Now in its fourth year of existence as the newest of the NPC women's divisions, the Physique division has established a strong following as well as providing an alternative to the longstanding bodybuilding division where muscular development is an integral part of the judging process in both divisions.
This year a field of 39 contestants in the four height classes made their way to Las Vegas for the annual NPC USA Championships in the hopes of capturing one of the eight available pro cards offered – not to mention the coveted overall USA Physique division crown.
Looking ba
ck, Sheilahe Brown was the first overall winner in 2011, followed by Samantha Hill in 2012. Last year Maria Rita Penteado took the title. Of those, Samantha Hill has qualified to compete in this year's Physique Olympia, along with 2011 USA C class winner LaDrissa Bonivel. No doubt many more will follow in the coming years. But first, an Elite 8 will emerge from this year's event to further build a base of high quality competitors to strengthen the already very competitive pro division.
A CLASS – Up to and including 5’2”
Speaking of an elite eight, it was a field of eight who made the first run at a pair of available pro cards in what many call the short class. Eventual winner Frances Perkins from Lemoore, California, was far from short on bodily talent (although she stands 4’11 1/2” and was the shortest competitor in this group) as she used a solid structural balance to take the class victory.
Most recently Perkins was the winner of the NPC Grand Prix and her transition from a former Figure competitor in 2011 has been a successful one. Following Perkins closely and earning the runner-up spot was Tannaz Malekzadeh. From Scottsdale, Arizona
, Malekzadeh made the race close losing by just two points in the final tallies, 8 to 10. Another former Figure competitor, Malekzadeh began the 2014 season placing third at the NPC California and second at the NPC Dennis James Classic – both in the Physique class. Both Perkins and Malekzadeh now move on to the pro ranks.
Outside the Top Two
3– Laura Foster, Greenville, South Carolina 14
4– Mariko Cobbs, Geismar, Louisiana 20
5– Leticia Martin, Selsun, California 25
6– Natalie D'Amico, Issaquah, Washington 30
7– Jennifer LaGuardia, Colorado Springs, Colorado 35
8– Analaura Mendoza, El Paso, Texas 39
B CLASS – Over 5’2” and up to and including 5’4”
The 'B' class featured a field of 10 contestants, but it was Melissa Lesage from Tucson, Arizona, who made her strongest statement with a finely balanced and muscularly developed overall look. At 5’2 3/4”, Lesage was one of the shorter competitors in the class, but her bodylines gave her a pleasing appearance with no obvious weaknesses.
Like so many of the new competitors entering this division, Lesage is also a former Figure competitor. But in her case the transition is of the mega variety. Just check the results of the 2012 NPC USA F
igure 'C' division and you'll find her firmly entrenched in a tie for 16th place with 15 other competitors. That's a long way from her victory at this USA and earning pro status to boot.
In preparation for this year, Lesage finished second at the 2013 NPC LA Grand Prix in the Physique division. In winning this year, Lesage also made it unanimous among the judges. What a difference two years can make.
If there was a common thread that wove through the career paths of Melissa Lesage and runner-up Marnee Winn of Murray, Utah, it had to do specifically with the depths of which they came in the Figure division. Both competitors were 'C' division Figure aspirants when they took their first trips to the stage. And both were roundly lost in the plethora of contestants these divisions annually draw. In Marnee Winn's case it had to be mind-numbing for her as she was totally lost in the shuffle.
Last year Winn entered the NPC Nationals Figure C class and finished in that always dreaded tie-for-16th. But in her case it was even worse. She was buried along with 24 other aspirants who tied for 16th. As many do, she could have quit and moved 
on to something more fulfilling in life. But she stuck around. In 2014 she found the Physique division much more palatable.
She entered the Junior USA, the Junior Nationals and the Masters Nationals. She cracked the top ten in all three. And after a victory at the NPC Legends Classic, the USA seemed like a reasonable goal. It was. And with her runner-up finish came the reality that she was now qualified for the leap to the pro ranks. It's almost inconceivable that her journey from the deep depths of the Figure division – and going totally unnoticed – to entering the pro ranks just one year later was possible. Well, it is was. Think she has a new outlook on her competitive future now?
Outside the Top Two
3–Lisa Mendoza, Glendale, Arizona 17
4– Tina Mauer, Lincoln, Connecticut 20
5– Missy Bennett, Los Angeles, California 22
6– Rae Anne Bettencourt, Kent, Washington 30
7– Natalie Bush, Redondo Beach, California 35
8– Dustie Samson, Ft. Collins, Colorado 40
9– Christine Haynes, Fullerton, California 47
10– Tina Davis, Tarzana, California 48
C CLASS – Over 5’4” and up to and including 5’6”
Remember 
when we were all in high school and a 'C' meant we were merely average? I hated C's... and my parents weren't real crazy about them either. But that was then. In the world of Physique competitions, the C class has had a pretty good run at the USA in its four years of producing winners. Last year's C class winner Maria Rita Penteado was good enough to also capture the overall USA crown.
And at the 2011 event, C class winner LaDrissa Bonivel is now getting ready to flex her stuff at the upcoming Physique Olympia. So, this year the winner of this class was another nugget of physical excellence named Tonya Hocker from Fresno, California. Naturally, she was in the first call-out of the prejudging round, and at 5’4 1/2” she was perfectly conditioned to get more than just one look from the judges. But for my money, the knockout punch came when she hit her first double biceps pose.
There before everyone was a perfectly shaped and developed set of biceps… two rolling hills of muscle stretching from the shoulder to the elbow. They were eye-catching and served as mesmerizing calling cards that put exclamation marks on a really terrific physique. Dave Palumbo offered the following in his assessment of her look, "Super-capped delts... good back double biceps... ripped abs and thighs… Polished.” He only really needed to use the last word of his assessment. She was polished. And that is exactly what a judging panel wants to see in a competitor.
Judges are looking for that single individual who is ready to stand in a pro lineup that night. Tonya Hocker was, and is ready. The overall USA Physique title and trophy was hers. Not bad for a middle-of-the-pack Figure competitor from six years ago! Her 'C' suddenly became an 'A+'.
Much less surprising in finishing second to Tonya Hocker was Andre
a Lenihan from Olathe, Kansas. Like Hocker, Lenihan's contest history is relatively miniscule – the kind that can be counted on one hand. No matter. Whether a rookie or a grizzled veteran it all depends on what is brought to the stage on a given day and who happens to be in the lineup. A top placement is partly luck, but the primary element is presenting the strongest of strong first impressions.
Andrea Lenihan had a taste of that reality last year at this same contest when she finished fifth in this class. For her it was a valuable learning experience, not to mention the fact that a fifth place finish also created a motivational level that she could be solidly in the mix this year with proper attention to any and all details.
She had already tasted victory last year with a win at the NPC Midwest, so a finish in the top two here could be considered a goal achieved. In the final tallies, Lenihan was a unanimous second place finisher, and she had earned her pro status. How valuable those learning experiences can be.
The Rest of the 'C's
3–Sierra Mangus, Las Vegas, Nevada 15
4– Trina Dodson, Glendale, Arizona 20
5– Shawna Doty, Ft. Worth, Texas 27
6– Andrea Borneman, Clovis, California 28
7– Megan Casey, Parker, Colorado 34
8– Melissa Weatherby, Atascadero, California 40
9– Krista Brown, Colorado Springs, Colorado 45
D CLASS Over 5’6”
Natalie Ro
chner won the 'D' division of the USA Physique event. For some journalists that might be the end of what they would be willing to search for in writing her success story of this event. You see, Natalie Rochner may be the best kept secret in the NPC Physique realm. From Texas City, Texas… and, yes, there is a Texas City, Texas, we know she is 24 years old.
And when it comes to a contest resume you'll only know that in 2013 she finished 10th in the Figure division at the NPC Branch Warren Classic… not exactly a career highlight. But there is an upside, and that is what we can see of her in the flesh. She does exist. At 5’7” there is much to rave about. With the unofficial WOW factor award already tucked away by Tonya Hocker, Natalie Rochner still merits superlatives that come with winning any division at a national level contest.
First and foremost, this is a woman who rates as a quick study in learning the ways of a Physique competitor. That and being blessed with a great bone structure and pleasing muscle shapes making up half the battle. Overall, her structure shows pleasing lines. Her v-shape is a strong point with broad shoulders, a narrow waistline and just enough thigh sweep to give that illusion of the idyllic look from head to toe. And her calves are of the diamond-shaped variety. What's not to like?
In the points battle, Rochner missed winning unanimously, but a win’s a win. And to be fair there was plenty of distraction in this field of 11. To begin with runner-up Erin Tolan, at 5’7”, had a hometown Las Vegas crowd rooting for her. And there was the statuesque Brienne Eubanks who specializes in looking beautifully lean at 5’8 1/2". And Texas dazzler Trish Swander – a familiar face and physique star from the late 90's making a comeback – also drew plenty of attention.
Swander, by the way, is from Harlingen, the same town that produced Rachel McLish. And Ohio's Carrie Rapp provided the ultimate distraction at 6’0”, 190 pounds – a size of competitor in Physique that will take time for judges to adjust to. Tolan's hometown crowd was surely joyous as she earned her pro card with that second place finish. Not so joyous was Eubanks as she finished a single point behind Tolan's 11 points… a single point away from a pro card is tough to swallow by anyone's calculation. Swander trailed them both in fourth, while the rap on Rapp was that she had to settle for 8th. Still at 6’0”, she was majestic in a field where no other competitor was within three inches of her height.
Still, Natalie… we hardly know you!
The Rest of the 'Tall' Class
3– Brienne Eubanks, Lakewood, Washington 12
4– Trish Swander, Harlingen, Texas 20
5– Twana Barnett–Ferguson, Temecula, California 25
6– Hailey McGrath, Denver, Colorado 30
7– Kimberly Rieck, Denver, Colorado 39
8– Carrie Rapp, Union, Ohio 41
9– Renee West, Anderson, California 43
10– Nicole Goncalves, Dos Palos, Colorado 45
11– Christina Culp, Reading, California 53
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