Mello Wins The Battle Of The Sweet 16' At The L.A.Grand Prix
by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian
By this date last year the Desert Muscle Classic, St. Louis Pro and the California Governor's Cup had contributed to the inaugural year of the Pro Physique division. And it was just one day short of a year ago that promoter Jon Lindsay staged the first L.A. Grand Prix Pro Physique event at the Veteran's Auditorium in Culver City. This year's contest, held on April 13th, is the first of the 2013 season for Pro Physique, and this event carried with it similarities to the 2012 show in that it once again drew a competitive field of 16 contestants, and both of which featured a wide variety of physiques for the judges to sort out. One difference in the two contests (and obviously popular with the competitors) was the fact this year the prize money had been bumped up to $5,000 with $2,500 going to the winner. Another difference was that of last year's 16 entrants just three returned, and as fate would have it, two of them – Patricia Mello and Venus Nguyen – landed in the top two positions.
For Patricia Mello, she helped continue the aura that surrounds the beauty and physical qualities of the Brazilian competitors. Last year Mello won the Show of Champions in Orlando after placing second at this contest to Sara Hurrle. She finished up the 2012 season with another runner-up placing at the Titan Grand Prix in October. Now, she is qualified for the first Ms.Olympia Physique, and will attempt to double up on her LA Grand Prix when she plans to defend her Show of Champions title on April 20th.
While Mello's victory came as no great surprise given her statuesque frame and notable stage presence, the most interesting – if not confusing – judging call-outs during prejudging made for some groupings that brought a widest possible range of physiques. For example, in the first call-out six competitors were brought forward. They included Mello, Venus Nguyen, Anne Marie Kam, Antonia Perdikakis, Jill Rudison and Susan Graham. The difference in height in that group ranged from 4-ll to 5-9. And as the final placings were announced in the evening only Mello, Nguyen and Rudison ended up in the top five. The next four call-outs helped solidify the top finishers with Karin Hobbs, Miche
lle Trapp, Tycie Coppett, Debbie Barrable and Loan Leonard getting the second round call. The third call-out painted a picture of the unenviable bottom five placers. A fourth call brought back six (with the exception of Mello) who would battle for a top six placement. But the fifth call would be prophetic....a quartet including Mello, Nguyen, Hobbs and Rudison who would find themselves finishing in the top four in the evening.
Chasing Mello and winding up finishing second was Californian local Venus Nguyen. A huge improver last year when she finished 10th at this event, but came back six months later to place third at the Titan Grand Prix in October. Here, Nguyen made even more significant improvements in tweaking her overall look. At 5-1, she presented a stark difference to Mello, but the former gymnast and track athlete held her ground with a nearly flawless overall structural quality and solid muscle shapes from head to toe. Put simply, she has no glaring weaknesses. With the points she earned from last year's Titan Pro event added to her runner-up finish here, she stands to make a strong bid for an available qualification spot at the Physique Olympia. And for her effort here she also pocketed $1,500 in prize money.
If there was any competitor in this field who made a mad scramble for a top-five placing it was Idaho's Karin Kimura Hobbs. Left out of the first prejudging call-out of six, her call-out in the second group was cause for concern. But by the fourth and fifth calls the judges found her and she was being compared with the top group – and rightly so. Competing three times last year as a Pro Physique contestant that included a victory at the California Governor's Cup, and a runner-up finish at the Greater Gulf States, Hobbs presents a subtle, but ever-present elegance to go with her well-balanced physique and proportionate musculature. Without withering under the pressure of prejudging, she remained focused and made a very nice presence with a fluid routine at the evening show to secure a third-place finish. A $1,000 cash prize came with her placing in addition to scoring valuable points towards the upcoming Physique Olympia.
Hugely popular with what can be considered a h
ometown following, Venice's Jill Rudison claimed the fourth place spot in her pro debut. Striking in the lineups, Rudison, at 5-6, 143 pounds carried the most muscle of anyone in the field of 16. But she displayed it very well. With legs that drew raves from every direction and a nice overall balance to her physical structure she made a strong statement for showing how a notable level of muscle can be carried without all the hubbub about where the level of femininity should be drawn. This judging panel saw her as fitting into the top five which is a triumph in itself considering she had competed as a figure competitor from 2003 to 2011 and made a seamless transition to Physique with victories at the NPC Orange County Muscle Classic and IFBB North American Championships last year. Rudison will make another showing on the 20th at the Orlando Show of Champions – an event she will feel comfortable with considering she lived in Florida, competed at the Southern States as her first-ever contest and attended Florida International University.
As a side note: It was posted in the play-by-play on RXMuscle, “It's crazy how similar Jill and Patricia's physiques resemble each other.” Really? If that were true, why didn't they finish first and second? Rudison's legs were considerably more muscular than Mello's. She was three inches shorter (5-6) and weighed four more pounds than Mello who was 5-9. Both looked terrific, but similar? No.
Fifth-placer Loan Leonard continued to illustrate the stunning diversity of the occupants of the top five placings. At just 59 1/2 inches tall (4-11 ½ ) and weighing only 102 pounds, she compares closely t
o Ronnie Coleman's left leg! Seriously though, she presented a balanced, proportionate overall look that caught the judges' eye. Now 45, Leonard began as a bodybuilder winning the LW and overall titles at the 2001 NPC Arizona. Years later she switched to Figure before finding a home in the Physique division last year where she won the overall amateur Physique division at the California Governor's Cup, placed fourth at the NPC Team Universe, and earned her pro status with a class victory at the NPC USA. Her pro debut here gives her a solid beginning in her preparations for future events.
OUTSIDE THE TOP FIVE
6- Susan Graham - Paso Robles, California . 5- ¾, 121 pounds. Finished 5th at the 2012 Titan Grand Prix in her pro debut last October. She was absolutely radiant on stage with great conditioning.
7- Michelle Trapp - San Diego, California. 5-5 ½, 134 pounds. This was her pro debut. Won her class at the NPC USA last year to earn her pro status.
8- Anne Marie Kam - Eugene, Oregon. 4-11½, 105 pounds. Earned her pro status last year placing second in her class at the NPC USA. This was her pro debut.
9- Tycie Coppett - Atlanta, Georgia. 5-9, 152 pounds. Made her pro debut at the 2012 Tampa Pro, and placed second at the Houston Pro Physique last year earning points towards this year's Physique Olympia.
10- Antonia Perdikakis - Cockeysville, Maryland. 5-6, 145 pou
nds. Earned her pro status at the NPC USA finishing second in her class to Michelle Trapp. She made her pro debut at last year's Valenti Gold Cup.
11- Debbie Barrable - Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 5-2, 118 pounds. A veteran competitor with Ms. Olympia experience. Has also competed twice at the Arnold Classic in Figure. More recognizable as Debbie Leung, she placed third at last year's Toronto Super Show Physique Championship.
12- Anne-Marie Lasserre - Queensland, Australia. 5-10, 154 pounds. The contest's largest competitor and making her IFBB pro debut at this event. Was a 2011 Miss World and 2009 Miss Universe in the Figure division of NABBA. She is also a professional equestrian.
13-Janessa Roy - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. 5-4, 133 pounds. Earned pro Physique status at the 2012 Canadian Federation World Qualifier. Made her pro debut at the Toronto Super Show where she placed fourth.
14- Keri Ann Heitzman - Eugene, Oregon. 5-0, 120 pounds. Making her pro debut here, she was a class winner in Physique at the 2012 IFBB North American Championships.
15- Stacy Simons McDowell - Blackwood, New Jersey. 5-7, 137 pounds. A veteran among veterans. Has competed in 9 Ms. Olympias and 7 Ms. Internationals as a fitness competitor. Placed 5th last year in Physique at the LA Grand Prix, and 10th at the New York Pro Physique.
16- Elizabeth White - Wilson, North Carolina. 5-5, 120 pounds. Turned pro in Figure at the NPC Junior Nationals in 2006. Finished seventh at the New York Pro in 2007. Making her pro Physique debut at this event.
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