IFBB Greater Gulf States: Danielle Reardon Says 'Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler' After Victory in New Orleans

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Published on Tuesday, 23 June 2015 14:50

Written by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Pro Women's Historian

June 20th marked the date of the fourth year the NPC/IFBB Greater Gulf States Championships has offered a pro Women's Physique Division. Staged this year at the Best Western Plus Landmark Hotel in the New Orleans suburb of Metairie and promoted by Luke and Robin Tesvich. A very competitive field of 19 contestants jammed the stage with a variety of those who were making their pro debut to one competitor who had previous Physique Olympia experience. In sum total, a majority of the entrants were in what could be considered top shape, and it made for a tight race for high placings where in two instances only a single point separated finishers. In previous years, Tamee Marie had captured the Greater Gulf crown twice (in 2012 and '14). Between those wins Tycie Coppett won the title in 2013 - pretty good company for this year's winner to add her name to that duo of GGS winners.

Danielle Reardon 'Let The Good Times Roll' as the Greater Gulf States Winner.

There is a familiar old Cajun refrain used in this part of the country where locals often celebrate by saying "Laissez le bon temps rouler". In other words," let the good times roll". And that's exactly what Florida's Danielle Reardon did as she out-performed this contingent of entrants from nine States, as well as France and Trinidad. For the 24-year-old Reardon the victory was doubly sweet as it gave her a first pro win and it qualified her for a first invite to the Physique Olympia. As victories go, the Greater Gulf States was Reardon's first win since taking top honors at the 2012 NPC Nationals in her Physique class. A year later Reardon made her pro debut at the Show of Champions in Orlando where her 16th-place finish served as a harsh welcome, but at the same time a character builder. Since then she has been keenly competitive, arming herself with the strengthened desire that she would, at some point, reach a top placing in her chosen division. Today was that day.

A graduate of the University of Central Florida in 2013, Reardon has steadily built on a 5-0 structure that comprises well-shaped and evenly distributed musculature throughout her physique. Judges saw her as a unanimous winner, and if there was any chink in her arsenal of qualities, it would have been that she could have used a darker level of skintone under the bright lights to better highlight her muscle groups... a minor oversight that can be easily corrected when she takes the Olympia stage in September. In winning, Reardon accepted a check for $2,000 along with the highest level of motivation for training she has ever experienced.

Running second to Reardon was Venus Nguyen, another unanimous choice of the judges. At 5-1, and carrying 122 pounds on a genetically sound frame with idyllic muscle shapes, she made a solid statement as the running mate for the Reardon/Nguyen one-two punch for the top placings. No stranger to the runner-up spot, Nguyen finished second at the 2013 LA Grand Prix, and second again at the same show last year. Nguyen has enjoyed very consistent placings over the past three years with a third-place spot at the 2012 Titans Grand Prix and a pair of fifths at the '13 Optimum Classic and '14 Emerald Cup Pro. Most notably, Nguyen was a 16th-placer at the inaugural Physique Olympia in 2013. This year, obviously, her goal is to return to the Olympia stage in what will be a considerably more competitive field of qualifiers. A former track athlete at Arizona State, Nguyen earned her pro card in Fitness at the 2010 NPC Team Universe and her abilities in that division has enabled her to perform memorable routines in Physique competitions. As the runner-up Nguyen pocketed $1,000 in prize money and four points towards Olympia qualification.

If there was a competitor that was flying solidly under the proverbial radar it was Florida's Jill Dearmin. A longtime Figure competitor as far back as 2007, Dearmin made the switch to Physique and earned her pro status in 2012 after placing second in her class at the IFBB North American Championships. The same year she made her pro Physique debut with an 8th-place finish at the Valenti Gold Cup. Over the next nine contests through 2013 and '14 with the exception of a fourth-place finish at the Mile High Pro last year, her placings had fallen anywhere from 7th to 17th. And even with the coming of the 2015 season, Dearmin traveled to Puerto Rico to place 16th in the Open and 12th in the Masters. But Jill Dearmin has shown she's a trooper, and she simply wouldn't go away. So, here at the Greater Gulf States she cracked the top three for the first time. It took her 12 contests to do it, but the placing had to be very satisfying for her. And the $500 in prize money for her placing no doubt helped defray the costs of her trip from Florida up to New Orleans.

Earning points towards the Physique Olympia qualification was French competitor Caroline Gaume in fourth with 2 points, and Alisa Lamay scoring a point for 5th.

The Official Results

1- Danielle Reardon, Florida 3
2- Venus Nguyen, California 6
3- Jill Dearmin, Florida 10
4- Caroline Gaume, France 11
5- Alisa Lamay, Alabama 15
6- Roxie Beckles, California 19
7- Melissa DiBernardo, New York 20
8- Trish Swander, Texas 24
9- Nicole Carter, Trinidad 27
10- Margarita Charaim, Illinois 30
11- Loan Leonard, California 35
12- Jenni Verdi, New York 36
13- Robin Connell, Hawaii 38
14-Andrea Boudreaux, Louisiana 42
15- Kari Hartman, Texas 45
16- Monica Gries, Texas 48
16- Joy Henderson, Virginia 48
16- Lisa Sanders, Texas 48
16- Patricia Vasquez, California 48

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