Pro/Am Contests Blog

2009 NPC Team Universe information.

This years Team Universe will take place September 18 - 19 in New York.

For more information you can contact:

Steve Weinberger or Bev Francis
Powerhouse Gym
235-C Robbins LN
Syosset, NY 11791

Ph: 516-933-1111
Email: bevsgym@optonline.net

From http://www.hardbody.com/news/2009/02/18/2009-official-bikini-qualification-announcement/

Please note that for all 2009 National Bikini contests except the 2009 Junior USA Bikini Championships, an athlete must have competed in an NPC Bikini event prior to entering a national contest.

The following must be provided with your entry:
• NPC Bikini Contest Name
• Date Of Contest
• Contest Promoter
• Your Height Class & Final Placing

This includes:
• NPC JUNIOR NATIONAL BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• NPC USA BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• NPC TEAM UNIVERSE BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• IFBB NORTH AMERICAN BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS
• NPC NATIONAL BIKINI CHAMPIONSHIPS

Check out Bodybuilding.com’s full contest coverage from this competition right here.

2008 NPC Team Universe Results. Check out the results from the 2008 NPC Team Universe contest here. [ View Team Universe Results ]

2008 NPC Team Universe Photos Check out the pictures of the 2008 NPC Team Universe.  See pictures of contestants, crowds and competition! Prejudging Photos: [ Men’s Bodybuilding ] [ Fitness Routines ] [ Women’s Bodybuilding ] [ VIEW ALL PICTURES ]

Some quick thoughts before the finals. The show was well run and everything went quickly. Thankfully there was plenty of time to get back to the hotel, relax a bit and grab a bite to eat before the finals. Below are my opinions of the contest, again simply my opinion and not the final outcome or how the judging will go.

Female Bodybuilding:
Lightweights - I look for Kim Landry-Ayres to take the class with Rochelle Palko in second.

Middleweights - Top three should be Cassandra Floyd, Shelli Schinkus and Ellen Woodley.

Heavyweights - I have Lea Ann Scelfo in first and Shawna Walker in second.

There were some good conditioned competitors in the show. There was no real show stopper to me so it will come down to the comparisons tonight on who will be the new IFBB Pro.

Figure: Lots of women, some classes were stacked with great competitors while others not so much. Overall a very good show with well conditioned competitors. Again simply how I saw the show and now how it will actually play out. The top two in each class are eligible for IFBB Pro Status.

A Class: I really like Ann Clairborne’s look and the package she brought. Her posing could have been just a bit better from behind but conditioning was great. A very competitive class and the final standing could go a number of ways. Lots of mixing around with the competitors during both rounds.
1 - Sheryln Roy
2 - Ann Claiborne
3 - Carin Hawkins
4 - Paige Oliver
5 - Debra Lavette

B Class: There was no clear cut winner in this class and things could go a number of ways. I do look for Candice and Melody to get their pro cards as they seemed to be the most consistent from front to back in both rounds.
1 - Candice Houston
2 - Melody Clark
3 - Liza Kampstra
4 - Soleivi Hernandez
5 - Danielle Agrapides

C Class: This was a big class with lots of great competitors. The two leaders in this group were Jessica and Cynthia. The rest were all over the map and could place 3 or 6th. Tough group with a number of comparisons within the first couple call outs.
1 - Jessica Clay
2 - Cynthia Henderson
3 - Emily Nicholson
4 - Pamela Sooper
5 - Debra Dunn

D Class: This class was HUGE. The big stand out was Alicia "smiley" Harris. She has never looked better and really shined on stage. I think she’ll fair better in her two piece than her one piece but I look for her to take the class and leave an IFBB Pro. Second through fifth was a battle. Terri Turner came on much stronger in her one piece and could move up a spot or two from the two piece. Her posing is a little off and I think she’s looked her best in Charleston and Chicago.
1 - Alicia Harris
2 - Danielle Kifer
3 - Jennifer Toth
4 - Terri Turner
5 - Maire Ann Newman

E Class: The two standouts in this class were Natalie Callando and Michelle Craven. I look for them to leave as new IFBB Pros tonight. This class had a number of comparisons and they brought out a few at the end of the two piece round. Jaime Meade was overlooked at first but look for her to be in the top five.
1 - Michelle Craven
2 - Natalie Callando
3 - Stephanie McDonald
4 - Jaime Meade
5 - Tara Zito

F Class: Alicia Marie walks away with this class tonight. The question is who will be second. Alicia doesn’t carry much muscle but does have nice shape and presentation. She looked better here than she did in Vegas but she will still do better as a model then a figure competitor. Who will get the second pro card? It’s a tough battle between Monique Minton, Courtney West and M.J. Fox.
1 - Alicia Marie
2 - Monique Minton
3 - Courtney West
4 - M.J. Fox
5 - Christian Hammond

Again these are only how I would place it. We’ll get the actual placings in a few hours.

Fitness:
Short Class - I have Rose Hendricks and Paige Oliver in the top two for the physique rounds. Unfortunately for Paige she forgot parts of her routine and most likely didn’t fair too well in that round. It will depend on how low she placed on whether she will get a pro card tonight.

Medium Class - Jessica Clay and Cinzia Massaro-Clapp are my top two picks in this class. I have Jessica winning the class.

Tall Class - Look for Jo Marriner to leave New York a new IFBB Pro. She brought up her physique enough to keep her in the running. As I mentioned before she rocked the house with her routine and now that her physique has come up, look for her to win this class. Amanda Marinelli should win the physique round with Jo in second. Amanda could get the second card tonight. I have Sandi Stuart in third and Jill Brooks in fourth.

Lots of new pros will be crowned tonight. The rain has hit NYC hard and heavy. Check back for more info and photos later on. Congrats to all the competitors as most of them did a very good job.

Things are gloomy here in New York. I’m not talking about the competition but the weather has changed to cloudy skies and drizzle. The weather reports are saying 3-6 inches as the tropical storm makes it way up the coast. Later this evening winds could be up to 60mph.

Rain or shine the show must go on and on it is. Last night the fitness ladies took the stage with their routines. Overall it was a lackluster showing from the competitors. There were a few women who "brought it" but many of the routines seemed to be taking place in slow motion and not the caliber needed to be at to be on the pro level.

Short  Class - Ten women are in this class. I have the routine round going to either Rose Hendricks from Shoreline, WA or Nita Marquez. They both brought energetic routines and showed off great strength skills. The two ladies also had nice costumes that showed off their physiques. Both are in great condition and if you work hard and are in shape, why not show the judges a preview and catch their attention? Victoria Larvie showed some solid gymnastic skills and should be in the top 3-4 in the routine rounds.

Medium Class - This group and the best display of solid routines. Erin Nomura won the routine round in my opinion for this class. She had a nice mix of dance, strength and gymnastics. Safiya Johnson held her own with a new routine and did a great job, she should be in the top spots as well. Lishia Dean brought a new routine and did well with it. It had a bit too much dancing for my liking but still a good job. Venus Ramos performed her best routine to date. She had the look of determination and did a much, much better performance than I’ve ever seen her do. Desiree Walker should be in the mix with a good performance laced with loads of gymnastics. Nez Zamdrano did a good job with her gymnastics and had a solid routine.

Tall Class - No question about it Jo Marriner from Colorado steals the show again. Jo will bring the New York house down tonight when she performs. It’s hard to tell but from my vantage point she looks like she has added some muscle to her frame. This should be her show for the taking and if I look for her to walk away a pro. She displays the most control with her strength moves and puts most of the pros to shame. When it comes to routines this is the woman you want guest posing for a crowd. She performed last and it held true the best was for last. After that it will be a battle between Jill Brooks and Sandi Stuart for second. Both did decent jobs but seemed nervous and didn’t "own" the stage.

Prejudging begins with figure and physique rounds in fitness shortly. Check back later for more updates.

The quick skinny from New York…

The competitors all checked in last night and if they missed check-in last night they were able to do so this morning. IFBB Fitness Pro Kim Scheideler (formerly Klien) helped promoter Bev Francis with the process.

JM Manion drove in from PA to cover the show for NPC NEWS and will be shooting the winners on Sunday.

Two of the top contenders in the Figure F class were chatting it up with each other. Monique Minton and Alicia Marie were chilling in the lobby. Alicia was contemplating what to do with her Friday and Monique was feeling good with some fats and carbs in her system.

American Gladiator Mike O’Hearn was spotted carrying in groceries with her girlfriend Sheryln Roy. He was trying to be undercover with a five o’clock shadow and a hat on.

Tanji Johnson is in the Big Apple and brought and entire crew. They were doing a few impromptu photo shoots in the lobby showing off the team jackets.

Jen Hendershott is in attendance and will be cheering on one of her pupils, Lishia Dean. She tells me Lishia has ditched the "rock star" routine and will be bringing something new in hopes of nabbing a pro card. We’ll see how she fairs in the routine round tonight.

Carla Sanchez brought a number of women from her Performance Ready Team. Figure competitor Tara Green, who is a pilot, had her co-pilot give a shout out to the PR TEAM over the intercom. Look for Liza Kampstra, Jamie Meade and a few other PR figure divas to be in the mix this weekend.

Houng Arcinas tells me she is "on" and ready.

Krissy Chin said she was excited and ready to go.

Tracey Greenwood decided not to attend due to the imposing weather the local area is scheduled to have tomorrow.

The prejudging starts tonight at 6:30pm EST. Check back here for more info and photos throughout the weekend.

Hardbody.com’s Isaac Hinds catches up with NPC Figure Stunner Monique Minton at the recent 2008 Europa Expo.

Find out what’s new with ‘MoMo’, learn about pick-up lines at the gym, and find out her plans for the NPC Team Universe this weekend!

Enjoy!

2008 NPC Team Universe / Fitness National Championships

September 5-6, 2008

SHOW INFO:

http://www.bevfrancis.com/shows.html

If the female side of the show interests you check out this forum…………

http://www.siouxcountry.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76

1 WEEK OUT:

Alexandra Johnston (contest pics)…………..

http://www.siouxcountry.com/showthread.php?p=100833#post100833

Alyssa Stroud (contest pics)…………….

http://www.siouxcountry.com/showthread.php?p=100794#post100794

Bree Marsh (pics)……………

http://www.siouxcountry.com/showthread.php?p=99980#post99980

Cynthia Herndon (pics)……………….

http://www.siouxcountry.com/showthread.php?p=100725#post100725

Holly Powell (contest pics)…………….

http://www.siouxcountry.com/showthread.php?p=100834#post100834

MarieAnn Newman (contest pics)………………

http://www.siouxcountry.com/showthread.php?p=100735#post100735

Vanessa Adams (contest pics)……………

http://www.siouxcountry.com/showthread.php?p=100813#post100813

I’m reposting this MySpace bulletin with permission from IFBB Fitness and Figure Pro Nicole Wilkins for your reading pleasure.  Enjoy!

"For those of you who couldn’t get to NY for Team Universe this past July, you can see my routine that won the overall on YouTube or go to this forum link. 

Also… I only have 6 more days until I step on stage in Spain for the IFBB World Championships! Tracy Beckham, Jodi Miller and I will be representing the USA in Santa Susanna, Spain next weekend. We were all invited to compete after winning at the Team Universe Championships. I found out that there will be about 60 other countries competing, so it is similar to the Olympics except it is for bodybuilding, fitness and body fitness (aka figure).

Afterwards, I will be enjoying a little more variety in my diet until my pro debut. When will that be you ask??? Well…. you will just have to wait and see… 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend - I am about to finish packing!

GO TEAM USA!!!!!”

Nicole Wilkins
http://www.myspace.com/36550924
Team Universe Figure & Fitness Overall Champion and IFBB Pro

For more info on the IFBB World Championships, click here:
http://www.ifbb.com/reports/insprep/santasusanna2007.html

Flying into NYC, I gazed down at the Statue of Liberty and felt a rush of excitement spread to every limb of my body.  I couldn’t believe I was about to compete in the 2007 Figure Nationals Pro/Am.  This would be the toughest competition I’ve ever competed in and I was quite anxious for the games to begin!

Knowing this would be a very competitive show, I was hoping to crack the top 15 out of the 38 girls in my class, who all looked AMAZING!!  To be in a class with such high caliber athletes such as Jessica Wright, Catherine Anderson and Misty Green was an honor all in itself!

Round one was underway and as I waited patiently Sandy called out the first 5 girls.  Four girls stepped out, but where was the fifth?  I looked at my number again, and was totally stunned, I was the fifth girl!  I made the first call out!  Holy crap!!!  I felt like throwing my arms in the air like Rocky, but held back. 

As round two went underway I was in the second call out for a final placing of 7th.  I couldn’t be more happy with my placing and overall experience at this wonderful show.  Steve Sant was a hoot and kept us laughing all the way through finals.

The best part of the show was when they announced that for round two they would start with the tallest class, which was the case for the finals as well.  This was terrific!  I was in the tallest class, "F," and we are always last, so it was nice to finally be first!  Kudos to Bev and Steve for a very well run show.  I can’t wait to compete again next year!

Get ‘em while they’re hot…  Isaac Hinds’s entertaining video clips from the 2007 Team Universe are now available for the taking. 

View them here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/2007npcteamu_vids.htm

I got permission from Odis McCullough to repost his recent MySpace blog entry here on Bodybuilding.com, so without further ado…

"Well everyone… I’m sitting on the sofa eating a brownie and some ice cream. Oh, my stomach is going to hurt tonight! LOL. I’m celebrating victory once again. I won the overall at the John Sherman Classic tonight. It has been a great year so far. I want to give a shout out to Sylvie and her husband. It was great finally meeting you, Girl. I love being in the presence of a Champion. Muah!

As you all know, I am aiming for a pro card this year. And The Nationals in Dallas is where I plan on getting it. Of course that’s not until mid November. And I am growing in leaps and bounds. I weighed in at 205 for the John Sherman Classic. 6 more pounds heavier than a week ago at the Team Universe. I am now officially carrying 22lbs more muscle than in April when I won the Ronnie Coleman. Again, I will be tighter and carrying more muscle for The Nationals. I promise!

Odis McCullough Winning The 2007 NPC John Sherman.

In the mean time, I am physically and mentally exhausted. Oh I’m having a blast. But I am just worn out. So I have decided to give my body a 3 week rest… Celebrate my birthday on August 13th, and begin my conquest of winning the Texas Championships on Oct 27th, and The Nationals on November 16th. It’s a big task ahead of me. But Champions look for big conquests. That’s a Champion’s nature.

So let’s talk about persistence. Persistence is “the act of persisting or persevering; continuing or repeating behavior”. That means even when you get knocked off your path… Like me placing 3rd at the Team Universe last week. You still keep striving toward your goal. Let nothing hold you back. Winners and Champions always keep moving toward the goal. They are determined to win no matter what.

I will tell you that after not winning last week… it made this victory all the sweeter. Every time you rise from the ashes to victory, you prove you are a true Champion. So I’m gonna have some fun the next couple weeks, and then get back to the grind. I hope that I am inspiring you guys to follow your dreams. Cause I love you all, and I want you all to reach your full potential with persistence and determination. ‘Til next week… I love you all! BTW… I’ll get some pics up as soon as I see them posted.”

Live Longer, Live Better -

Odis
http://www.myspace.com/meditate101

I received this message from Top 5 finisher at the 2007 New York Pro Figure contest this past weekend, Jessica Paxson-Putnam, and I’m posting it here with her permission:

"The New York Pro was a great experience. I had a blast meeting some great girls and competing with them. I would by lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed with my placing since I won last year, but I am still very happy with making the top five.

I just did not come in looking as good as I did last year. I have not had a full off-season due to photo shoots and I came in smaller and a little flat.  I still came away from the experience feeling like a winner with all of the many blessings my husband and I have had come our way. 

I am taking time off to work on my physique and will possibly apply for the 2008 Arnold.

Thanks for all your support! God bless!”

Jess
http://www.myspace.com/jessfit

Note: Check out more 2007 New York Pro Figure coverage here.  You can also read Jessica’s pre-contest comments here.

What a great weekend!  As I reflect back on the excitement from New York, I can honestly say I’m not sure I have seen a more stellar lineup of figure competitors!

Every class was filled to the brim with top athletes who all came to fight for the top spots - 12 pro cards!

It was a long and hot day at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, but everyone seemed to feed off that infamous New York City energy and hardly a complaint was heard!

The Fab 5 came to represent the Performance Ready Team and it was a very successful weekend!  We add one to our entourage for USAs, so we become the Super 6 Pack and I think we will be a team Las Vegas won’t soon forget!

Have a great day!
XO,
Liza

After my 7th place finish at the Arnold, followed by another 7th place finish in Chicago, I feel that the judges’ message is clear: I am almost there!

I am looking forward to competing in Las Vegas at the USA Figure Championships (only two weeks away!) and I am hopeful that I will break into the top 5! I have spent the past four weeks continuing to improve my physique and conditioning and am on track to present my best package ever at the USAs!

Jacqueline Skibba.

If the physiques presented this past weekend in New York (at the National Figure Championships) are any indication of the caliber of athletes that will be present in Las Vegas, it should be an outstanding competition.

NPC Figure Competitor Jacqui Skibba, 2007 Jr. Nationals.

I look forward to competing with these incredible ladies, probably just as much as I’m going to enjoy my double-double from In-N-Out Burger once the show is over! 

-Jacqui