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Published on Monday, 19 November 2012 10:44
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Written by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian
2012 NPC Nationals Physique Report: West Is Best In Women's National Physique
by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian
Atlanta, Georgia, November 10th: Somehow, the 2011 competitive season in the new Physique division now seems like a distant memory when national-level events such as the NPC Junior USA, Junio
r Nationals, Team Universe, USA, and IFBB North American all welcomed considerable numbers of entrants chasing the chance to reach the IFBB pro ranks in a division that fit somewhere between Figure and Bodybuilding. The NPC Nationals completed the year of pro qualifiers contributing 106 contestants in three height classes. Clearly, the evolutionary process was in full swing as former figure and fitness competitors as well as former bodybuilders all made a pointed attempt to fit into the new criteria handed down by the NPC. From Dana Lynn Bailey winning the NPC Junior USA becoming the first winner of a Physique division event, to NPC Nationals overall winner Karin Kimura. The stage was set, not only for the seeding of competitors in the new pro Physique division, but also putting on display a sampling for those who would follow in 2012. With the coming of 2012 dozens of NPC contests nationally have offered a Physique category that offered qualification to the national-level events. So, the obvious curiosity and undeniable comparisons that go with the NPC Nationals as the premier amateur contest of the year had everyone wondering what the 'state of the union' would be as it related to the second year of the Physique division and just what the winners of those classes would look like.
Staged this year at the Hyatt Regency Hotel's Centennial Ballroom, 62 contestants in four height classes put their best physique forward in the final pro qualifier of the year. The top two in each class would earn that coveted IFBB pro status.
REARDON STEPS FORWARD TO WIN THE 'A' CLASS
A field of 13 contestants made up this height class which offered a far less stressful judging dilemma than last year's inaugural Physique division 'A' group that numbered 45.
Excluding two competitors who turned pro last year, just six returned to this class – and three of those ended up in Class 'B' for this year's event. Meanwhile, only two of last year's top 15 in this class returned. All that said, the hearty 'dozen plus one' made a tightly knit group that produced two more qualifiers for the pro ranks.
Leading the way in this class was Danielle Reardon from Orlando, Florida. Striking in every way -even at her diminutive 5-1/2 height – she offered the first WOW factor of the Physique division competition. Just 22, Reardon showed very good muscle quality as witness in her perfectly shaped biceps. Even at her young age she's far from a newcomer to competitions where she has been judged on her physicality. A former high school cheerleader, Reardon won the girls division of a bodybuilding contest held at her high school in 2008. Still a teenager in 2010, she finished second at the Europa Show of Champions as a figure competitor. In 2011 after experiencing figure results that ranged from winning the NPC Sunshine Classic to 14th at the NPC Nationals, she made the switch to Physique this year finishing second at the NPC Sout
hern States and first at the Mid-Florida Classic before her triumph here. Her unanimous victory qualifies her for IFBB pro status , and she'll no doubt make a vibrant addition to the pro ranks upon making her debut in the future.
Chasing Reardon in second place was Lindy Waid from Katy, Texas. Her runner-up finish – which also earned her pro card status – capped a very successful year winning both the Branch Warren Classic and Adela Garcia Classic, as well as a third-place finish at the NPC USA - all in the Physique division. Although just an inch taller than Reardon, Waid took on a longer, leaner look, whereas Reardon's musculature gave the appearance of more shape and volume. Both, in this class, were good enough to rate a move up to the pro ranks.
Third went to Rosela Joseph. A cake decorator from Lake Worth, Florida, Joseph also got her start in figure events. In 2011 after several more figure competitions, she switched to the Physique division landing a seventh-place 'A' class finish at the NPC Nationals last year.
From Miami, Florida, Giselle Fernandez finished fourth. In 2010 Fernandez finished first in the LW class at the NPC Southern States before switching to figure in 2011. At the NPC Nationals last year she missed making the top 15 in Figure prompting her to give the Physique division a try. With a top five placing here, it looks like a good fit.
Fifth-placed Jennifer Jaques-Conn has been a steady improver in the Physique division with prior experience at the NPC USA where she has been a top-ten placer in both 2011 and '12.Most recently she was the overall Physique winner at the 2012 NPC San Diego.
6-Jill Vadala, Fredericksburg, Va.
7-Tonya Shull, Salisbury, North Carolina
8-Camala LaRocco, Bruffton, South Carolina
9-Jami Frenkel, Dallas, Texas
10-Adina Edwards, San Diego, California
11-Laveca Smith, Dallas, Texas
12-Jill Leake, Pearl River, Louisiana
BARTLETT IS A KILLER 'B'
From Delray Beach, Florida, Katie Bartlett was a dominant figure in the 'B' class – which included 19 contestants - in much the same way Danielle Reardon won the 'A' class. Bartlett won this class with a unanimou
s nod of the judges. Her balanced and well-conditioned 5-3 frame flowed well especially when compared with her fellow competitors. As Dave Palumbo opined in his evening assessment of the top five, “.......she will easily win this class. Muscle flows effortlessly on her.....great abs....flaring quads.....good front and rear double biceps.” Another of the many figure competitors who have opted to enter the ranks of the Physique division, Bartlett would be especially pleased with her victory and move to the pro ranks here. In 2010 as a figure competitor, she placed 16th at the NPC Nationals and 18th at the IFBB North Americans – that's a long way from where she found herself on this night.
Claiming the second available pro card in this category was Audrey Presson of Umatilla, Florida. Floridians were most prevalent in this height class as six competitors came north to compete in these Nationals, but Presson was the premier finisher from the Sunshine state. As stage presence and routine performance were concerned, Presson looked to be experiencing sheer joy with her stage time, a fact that is all too often lost at major events where stage projection becomes an integral part of the final judging decision. Her evening routine, set to country music fit her perfectly and helped jettison her to the runner-up spot. Earlier this year Presson had finished third in the 'B' class at the NPC Junior Nationals, an event that gave her valuable experience for this contest.
Finishing third was Texan Rachel McMillan. From Dallas, McMillan has been competing as a bodybuilder at state, regional and national-level events since 2005 and was the light-heavyweight winner at the 2006 NPC Junior USA. In previous entries at the NPC Nationals McMillan finished seventh as a MW in both 2008 and '09. This year she scaled down her muscular look and had finished third at the NPC Mid-Atlantic and sixth at the NPC Junior USA – both in the Physique division.
Considering the fact that this is her first entry at the NPC Nationals as a Physique competitor, she has reached an idyllic level of development and condition for the Physique division criteria.
Fourth place went to Missy Bennett from Los Angeles. At the upper level of this class in height (she is 5-4), her torso and arms made for a very pleasing combination of muscle groups, and when she matches her lower body to go in tandem with her upper body she will easily challenge for the top spot in this class. A former figure competitor whose placings prior to 2011 pointed to the fact that she simply carried too much muscle, Bennett made the switch to the Physique division a seamless one by placing fifth in the 'A' class at the 2011 NPC Nationals. Her fourth-place finish he
re has her headed in the right direction.
Fifth went to Ally Baker of Kennewick, Washington. Making the switch to Physique this year after a victory in the figure division at the NPC Emerald Cup, she managed to out-point a strong challenge from Holland Canter (6th ) and Nancy Espinal (7th) who each displayed their own unique physical qualities – that were notably different - and made the decision among these three very difficult for the judges.
6-Holland Canter, Alomogordo, New Mexico
7-Nancy Espinal, Miami Beach, Florida
8-Jamie Young, Blacklick, Ohio
9-Natalie Bastiao Thumser, Lincoln, California
10-Shauna Lewis, Kent, Ohio
11-Rocio Guillan, Miami, Florida
12-Nickie Clark, Lusby, Maryland
13-Fern Assard, Uncasville, Connecticut
14-Mia Howard, Honolulu, Hawaii
15-Rebecca Cooper, Springfield, Massachusetts
16-Katie Chin, Winter Park, Florida
16-Janet Gerber, Sanford, Florida
16-Mariah Lane, Bolton, Mississippi
16-Viviana Soldano, Corona del Mar, California
THE WILD WILD WEST IN THE 'C' CLASS
This was the biggest class of the Physique division – 20 contestants. But with the coming of the first round of prejudging all eyes centered on competitor number 214 – Toni West. And why? Well, it goes on and on. Great stage presence, great hair, great makeup, great skintone....and did we mention her body? The short story is that she was a 5-5 ½ stick of muscular dynamite that weighed a perfectly distributed 130 pounds. But with a strong genetic base, and an additional athletic background that included track & field, soccer, softball an
d swimming - your basic multi-talented, multi-sport athlete - she brought the proverbial 'perfect package' to the NPC Nationals that was going to be a very difficult task for any challenger to top. With a degree in business and marketing from West Virginia University, West is a Mountaineer who has claimed to the top of the Physique division heap in convincing fashion. Having competed in several different organizations over the years, bodybuilding was always her first love and she enjoyed worldwide success with it. But here, she has made a major step, not only winning her class, but the overall NPC National title and gaining the opportunity to move into IFBB pro ranks. Clearly, her look should fit in just fine, thank you. If Toni West follows the script, one of the trips to a contest she makes in the future just might be heading west to Las Vegas.
The quality of this class didn't begin to decline after Toni West's scintillating victory. Jamie Nicole Pinder saw to that. Running a very strong second, only Toni West could have topped this eye-catching runner-up. At 5-5, but giving the appearance of being a few inches taller, Pinder was a picture of fine-tuned conditioning and well-shaped musculature. From Clinton Connecticut, Dave Palumbo described her as “perfect for women's physique”. His point is made even more graphically clear when considering her beautifully-shaped biceps, outstanding quad separation, and broad shoulders that taper down to a trim waistline. The most stunning aspect of Pinder's presence in this class - and her high placing - stems from 2011 when she finished seventh at the NPC Atlantic States in the BIKINI division. This year she qualified for the Nationals by winning the NPC New England Championships as a Physique competitor. Quite a transition, to say the least. So, as a tandem, Toni West and Jamie Nicole Pinder make for an impressive double WOW factor in the 'C' class...and this was not the 'C' we got in school that signified we were average! Two new pros and two of the highest caliber.
Claiming the third spot was Tracey Weller from Atlanta, Georgia. Finishing just three points behind Pinder ,Weller made a strong showing for herself. A runner-up at the IFBB North American in the Over-35 class this year, Weller showed a sultry stage presence, but simply lacked the overall muscular quality to challenge either West or Pinder.
Fourth went to another Georgian, Alisa Allen. A former figure competitor, Allen made her way to the Nationals this year by capturing a runner-up HW bodybuilding finish at the NPC Team Universe. At 5-4 ¾, Allen displays nice overall balance and flowing muscle shapes that make her a strong challenger in the Physique division.
Rounding out the top five was yet an another competitor
from Georgia – Alicia King. King came to the Physique division by way of the figure category where she had competed since 2008. She made her way into the top-five of this class on the strength of her engaging stage presence and special attention to a host of necessities (hair, makeup, costume jewelry and tanning) that go into making a professional looking package. With a nicely balanced physique, she will put pressure on her fellow competitors in this class with some fine-tuning in her conditioning level. But it won't take much.
6-Janelle Miller, Houston, Texas
7-Jessica Bowman, Hagerstown, Maryland
8-Jessica Gaines-Ortiz, Copperas Cove, Texas
9- Jayla McDermott, Fort Worth, Texas
10-Ginger Martin, Spring, Texas
11-Jayme Appleman, Gahanna, Ohio
12-Melissa Hong, Buxton, North Dakota
13-Kim Bliss Goeden, Portland, Oregon
14-Kendel Dolen, Spring, Texas
15-Eda Greene, West Orange, New Jersey
16-Dawn Borjas, Las Vegas, Nevada
16-Stephanie Hannon, Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania
16-Kayla Sellers, Marietta, Georgia
16-Jenetta Thompson, Abilene, Texas
16-Dorothy Trojanowicz, Markham, Illinois
IN THE 'D' CLASS JUDGES PICK HADLEY GLADLY
Working as a hospital dietician, 'D' class winner Asha Hadley no doubt put her dietary knowledge to good use in transitioning herself from a competitor in the figure division a
s late as last year where she placed sixth in her class at the NPC Nationals. Here, she had added plenty of muscle volume on her a 5-7 frame that grabbed the judges' attention enough to select her unanimously. Her final entry in a figure division came at the NPC Team Universe where she was relegated to a distant 16th-place finish. But with the move to Physique, she grabbed a third-place spot at the NPC USA, and a runner-up finish at the NPC Southern States. Now she's looking at the prospect of moving into the pro ranks where further muscle cultivation and fine tuning with her conditioning will be needed to make a strong first impression.
But if Asha Hadley's unanimous win wasn't enough entertainment in this class, then the battle for the next three positions was all-out war. Final scores read: 2nd Alisa Alday 13 points. 3rd Tammy Bleile 14 points. 4th Lynnie Brooks 15 points. It doesn't get much closer than that, and as is often the case, the trio were very different in their onstage appearance, further making the dilemma more difficult for the judging panel.
From Macon, Georgia, the 5-7 ½ Alisa Alday had previous experience in Physique division events, but her 10th-place finish at the 2012 NPC USA did little to pique an interest in what she might be capable of by the time she entered the NPC Nationals. Her improvement was, put simply, significant. And it was good enough to move her into a pro qualifying runner-up position – by a scant one point!
Just missing her bid to reach the pros was Tammy Bleile of San Diego, California. One point behind Alisa Alday, the 5-7 Bleile brought a pleasing streamlined look to the stage to earn her third-place finish, and along with her good conditioning and a level of elegance in her stage presence she was solidly competitive from the first call-out of prejudging.
Fourth-placed Lynnie Brooks was the veteran of this group and at 5-9 ¼, she was also the tallest. Competing in figure as far back as 2002 when she won the NPC Colorado figure title, she has come a long way since those days when she was lean and willowy. Her look now is much more omplimentary to her physique, and few can fault her resolve in striving for her hard-earned placing here after competing in four previous events this year including the NPC Junior Nationals, NPC USA and IFBB North American where her placings were very respectable.
At a shade over 5-6, Joanna Wilson was the shortest contestant in this class, but that fact would not be obvious when she was standing alone. From Centralia, Washington, Wilson came to the Physique division via figure, followed by bodybuilding. It was her success in bodybuilding where, after winning the overall NPC Emerald Cup title and finishing sixth in the light-heavyweight class at the 2010 NPC Nationals, her transition to the Physique division was an easy one. In 2011 she captured the fifth-place positi
on at the NPC USA, and her finish here equals that high-mark event. Look for her to become more competitive in 2013.
6-Roxie Beckles, Los Angeles, California
7-Violet Wilson, Lawrenceville, Georgia
8-Lindsay Rojas, Las Vegas, Nevada
9-Catherine Zidell, Dallas, Texas
10-Brienne Eubanks, Lakewood, Washington
11-Heather Peterson Lockhart, Buford, Georgia
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