Twenty years ago in 1992, the Junior Nationals sizzled in the 100-degree heat of a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina sun as an Illinois newcomer named Kim Chizevsky staked her claim to the heavyweight and overall Junior National titles. There were 44 competitors in three weight classes at that contest and of course Kim Chizevsky took her first step on her way to four future Ms. Olympia crowns. Here in 2012, times have changed with a field totaling just eight contestants in three weight classes vying for the Junior National title that Chizevsky and another former Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray won in 1989. But whether it is 44 contestants or 8 contestants, the winner would still be the overall NPC Junior National champion.
With just two entrants in the light class, it was Colorado's Kerri Arnone out-pointing Julie Currie for the Junior National light class title. With her victory here, Arnone
added to an already ship-shape contest resume that shows a pair of LW victories at the NPC Rocky Mountain in 2007 and 2011, with an additional two runner-up LW finishes at the NPC Colorado in 2009 and '10. Arnone's win was based in the sound combination of good symmetry and a equal level of structural balance and musculature.
Runner-up Currie had prior national-level experience when she placed seventh at the NPC Masters Nationals last year to go with a runner-up LW finish at the 2010 NPC Michigan.
It wasn't just the fact that Kelly Bigliazzi had a strong hometown following up from Peoria, Illinois to see her compete and roar their approval, she was also gaining additional fans by the minute with her excellent overall stage appearance and preparation. Now 31, Bigliazzi's story is especially interesting considering she was a 200-pound 19 year-old teenager who was about to drift into becoming a diabetic before she took hold of her life and turned things around. The results she showed here were a glorious example of how successful she has been. With contest successes dating back to 2007, Bigliazzi was most recently victorious at the 2011 Iowa Battle of Champions. But her victory here shows she can mix it up on the larger national stage in the future. Winning this class comfortably, Bigliazzi carried rightful designs on competing for the overall title as well.
Gina DeArment grabbed the bridesmaid position with prior experience that included runner-up finishes in the open and masters classes of the 2011 NPC Colorado.
Third went to 39 year-old Lequida Sanders from Jackson, Mississippi. A former figure competitor, Sanders was selected as the NPC Physique Athlete of the Month for March and most recently took the overall title at the NPC Panhandle Showdown in April.
In his RXMuscle play-by-play Dave Palumbo wondered why LaDawn McDay decided to enter this contest. His question came with some validity considering her strong 
competitive past at the national level. After all, McDay had finished second in her class at both the NPC USA and NPC Nationals, and she had been third at NPC Junior USA and IFBB North American all in the past four years. Oh yes, and there was one more runner-up finish she had collected – the light-heavyweight class at the 2011 NPC Junior Nationals. A former NPC Michigan state champion in 2008, McDay may have simply decided she had unfinished business to attend to at the Junior Nationals. From Detroit, the 38- year-old special ed teacher was easily the most highly decorated contestant in the bodybuilding field, but the question was could she nail down the overall with stiff competition from LtHW winner Kelly Bigliazzi. The answer was yes as she handily won her class, but the race for the overall wasn't so clear cut.
In direct comparisons McDay and Bigliazzi were very different physiques. While McDay carried plenty of mature and well-shaped muscle, Bigliazzi showed a considerably more crisp muscular detail to go with her professionally prepared overall look. The judges' decision went to McDay, much to the surprise of many observers. In winning, McDay became the third Michigan bodybuilder to win the overall Junior National title joining Lenda Murray from 1989 and Tracy Mason in 2006.
Chasing McDay in the HW class was runner-up Kasia Topor and third-placer Julia Thompson.
With last year's inaugural Junior National Physique division welcoming 40 contestants in two height classes, this year's event spread 35 competitors over four weight classes with winners in each class earning pro qualification. Some observers were surprised there weren't more entries, but the reality might be that both Figure competitors and Bodybuilders are learning that there is a period of time needed to make the switch to Physique – and it may not be as easy as they originally thought. Still, 35 contestants was a strong enough field to uncover four entrants who fit the mold of future pro Physique competitors.
As the smallest class with just four entrants, the 'short class' saw Colorado's Lauren Lessnau use a combination of nice overall bodylines to go with good detail in her abs, back and triceps to gain the judges' attention. Only 21, Lessnau was selected as the NPC Physique Athlete of the Month for April after winning the NPC Northern Colorado in April – her first contest. At 5-2, 120 pounds, she has a background in track and soccer, but is a newbie when it comes to weight training which she only began in December 2011. Potentially, her future in the pro Physique division could be a long and successful one.
Jill Vadala finished second to Lessnau, but this 5-2 mother of two, sports a contest resume that dates back to 1996 when she first competed as a fitness competitor in Pennsylvania. Now from Fredericksburg, Virginia, she has competed often at the national-level since 2008 – primarily in Figure divisions. Placing 16th at the 2008 NPC Junior Nationals as a Figure contestant, her second-place spot here would be a much more agreeable result and goes well with her decision to make the switch to Physique a seamless one.
Evie Rae flexed her way to the third position making the switch from bodybuilding in 2011. A MW & overall winner at the 2010 NPC Rocky Mountain, Rae placed 13th in the Physique division at the 2011 NPC Nationals. This year she has added a runner-up finish at the NPC Northern Colorado to go with a ninth-place finish at the NPC Junior USA. Her finishes would seem to be upwardly mobile.
Former Figure competitor Alexandria Mossbarger landed fourth.
Dave Palumbo made a sweeping statement upon viewing Betty Vasquez in the B class Physique division....... “great delts, tiny wait, good side triceps, great ab-thigh pose, 
and every muscle group flows. Best in class so far.”. That pretty much summed it up. And her switch from Figure to Physique looks like a wise move on her part. From Litchfield Park, Arizona, Vasquez' victory and qualification for the pro level is a long way from where she failed to place at both the 2009 and 2010 NPC USA contests in Figure. From famine to feast indeed.
In a class that saw a dozen entrants flex for the top spot, the first call-out of prejudging that included Shannan Roskam, Kim Bell, Elizabeth Crenshaw and Nickie Clark pretty much sealed the deal. Later, Audrey Presson pressed Nickie Clark from a top five position.
With Roskam earning the runner-up spot after finishing second at the 2012 NPC Northern Colorado earlier in the year, Presson moved solidly into the top group as the prejudging continued. For a while, at least, she was flying under the radar, but the judging panel found her in time to bump her up to third place.
Kim Bell was another former Figure competitor and had been competing at the regional and national level since 2004 with minimal success. This event changed all that with her fourth-place finish.
Fifth went to Elizabeth Crenshaw who easily qualifies as one of the most improved placers at this year's Junior Nationals. In 2011 she finished 15th in the Physique division at this event, so her jump to fifth is significant. With three other competitions in 2012 before the Jr. Nats, Crenshaw finished first at the NPC Northern Kentucky, first at the NPC Lansing Grand Prix in Physique, and third LW at the NPC Junior USA.
With 11 contestants making up the C class, it was 23 year-old Nebraskan Amanda Bendorf who made the most noise of a physical nature. With judges narrowing down who they felt was the top trio with a first call-out that only included Bendorf, Heather Henslee, and Brandi Richards, the race immediately came into a much sharper focus. But it was Bendorf, who, at 5-5 best looked the part as an idyllic Physique competitor in this class. A former Figure competitor, Bendorf won the Southern States Classic in 2010, and finish third at the Iowa Battle of Champions in 2011.
Brandi Richards managed to get the edge on Heather Henslee as both had won their respective Physique division events earlier in the year - with Richards winning the medium class at the NPC Northern Colorado, while Henslee took the Dual of Champions in the tall class. Both were entering the Junior Nationals for the first time.
From Juno Beach, Florida, Jill Dearmin is another Figure competitor who has made a successful transition to Physique after some dismal Figure results. Dearmin placed fourth at the 2011 NPC Nationals in the Physique class, and followed up this year with a fifth-place finish at the Junior USA before earning another top-five finish here. The Physique division should be her new home.
Kendel Dolen brought a trio of past Texas contest results with her to this event winning the Masters classes at the NPC Texas and NPC Branch Warren Classic in 2011. She also placed second in the Physique division at the 2012 NPC Ronnie Coleman Classic. Here, she was good enough to flex her way to fifth among the 'C's.
Casie Shepherd simply couldn't be missed in the D class field of eight contestants. At 6-2 she equals Nicole Bass as one of the tallest IFBB Pros ever......Now that she's pro, 
of course. Born in Minnesota, Shepherd played forward on the Colorado State Rams basketball team in her college days. Now 26, Shepherd, after having her experience with Figure contests, has shifted her efforts to the Physique division, and at the pro level it should be interesting to see her in the future standing next to several of the 5-2 competitors who currently inhabit the pro ranks. Most recently, Shepherd placed second at the 2012 NPC Minnesota, after entering several Figure events in Colorado.
Danielle Deck is another of the major improvers at this event. Just a year ago as a Figure competitor she was 15th at the NPC Masters Nationals, and 16th at the NPC Junior Nationals. She switched to Physique at the NPC USA and promptly finished 15th. But that was then. Here runner-up finish here has an altogether different look – and the judges bought it. Rightly.
Forty-four year-old Erika Laine took the third spot and as a former Figure competitor over the past two years, her switch to Physique went through a winning LW finish at the 2012 NPC Big Sky Championships. She may have found her comfort zone in the Physique division, and she was, after all, in the first call-out of prejudging.
One of the most actively competitive entrants in this division was Wendy Bogard who wound up placing fourth. Another refugee from the Figure wars, Bogard was entering the Junior Nationals for the first time, but has seen action at the NPC USA, NPC Nationals, Team Universe, North American, the Arnold Amateur, and the NPC Emerald Cup(on three occasions) to name a few.
Fifth placed Lynnie Brooks can be considered a veteran competitor in this field where she competed regularly as a Figure competitor in 2002, '03 and '04. In 2002 she was a tall class winner at the NPC Colorado, and a Figure Masters winner at the NPC Emerald Cup the same year. This year Brooks made the switch to Physique and won the tall class at the NPC Northern Colorado.
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