It's been 16 years since the 1993 NPC Nationals was staged in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and at that event 61 women were present to compete for the prized weight class titles and overall crown. At that contest, several notable competitors such as Vickie Gates, Nicole Bass, Suzan Kaminga, Yvonne Vazquez and Clifta Coulter inhabited the ranks. But it was a dynamically muscular 110-pound lightweight Californian named Sue Price who rocked the house with a physique that was simply unbeatable that weekend.
This year a field of 70 contestants had readied themselves to chase the trophies and IFBB pro qualifications that were up for grabs.
The 2009 field of contestants provided the audience with a varied mix of women who made their way to Florida's sunny climes with a smattering of experienced national-level entrants, along with a healthy number of those who were making their NPC National debuts.
Any way you shake it, the contest and its entrants were of the highest quality the NPC can muster, and the winners of each class would most assuredly earn their placing.
Ably promoted once again by Steve Karel and Stonecutter Productions, the contest was staged at the beautiful Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa on the weekend of November 20-21.
The Lightweights
At 5-2 and weighing in at a finely-tuned 113 pounds, Lori Steele quickly became a postergirl for figure competitors looking to find a way out of the log jam that has become the figure division. Showing a beautiful level of overall structural and muscular balance, Steele began competing in figure events in 2005 and after winning the overall NPC New England figure title in 2006, a 16th-place finish at the NPC Figure Nationals the same year helped her decide a change was needed. Crossing over to bodybuilding in 2007 Steele won the NPC Junior Nationals LW class, and she followed that up with a victory at the 2008 IFBB North American Championships before placing fifth in this event last year. Her improvement over the past year was evident at every level of her presentation, and moving from fifth in 2008 to first in 2009 came with little argument from anyone.
From Windham, New Hampshire, Steele also established herself historically at the NPC Nationals by becoming the first female competitor from her home state to win a class at the NPC Nationals.
In an effort to chase down Steele, runner-up Kirsten Haratyk put up the good fight showing many of the same qualities Steele possessed. At 112 pounds, Haratyk showed excellent proportions and a finely-tuned level of conditioning. Steele and Haratyk also have contest successes in common. Haratyk won the Junior Nationals in 2006, followed by Steele winning the same event in 2007. In 2007 Haratyk finished fifth in the LW class at the NPC Nationals, with Steele following the same result in 2008. Haratyk, however, was hoping to move up from her LW runner-up finish at the NPC USA earlier this year, but Steele double-pumped the brakes on that desire to earn the win here.
Finishing third was Californian Barbara Fletcher. Standing 57 inches tall and weighing in at 105 pounds she has steadily added poundage to her physique from when she won the LW class at the 2005 NPC USA. There she weighed as miniscule 94 pounds. Here, it remained ‘all good'. The difference this year was that Fletcher's level of muscle density (far more pronounced than her rivals) may not have fit the judging pattern that had been established by Steele and Haratyk. This was Fletcher's fifth entry at the NPC Nationals, and her highest finish since placing second in 2006. A sound bodybuilder, it will always be difficult to unseat Fletcher from a top five placing at this level.
Fourth was North Carolina's Stacey Pillari. Similar to Steele and Haratyk in basic structure and overall appearance, the thought process of her finishing third would not have been out of the question. At 107 pounds Pillari showed sound conditioning preparation and only needs to add extra quality pounds to move up. Another figure competitor who has made the successful crossover to bodybuilding, Pillari finished third in the LW class at the Arnold Classic Amateur contest earlier in the year.
Rounding out the top five was pre-contest favorite and 2009 NPC USA lightweight winner Margaret Negrete. Missing the first callout of prejudging that included Steele, Haratyk, Pillari and Fletcher, Negrete's fate was sealed when she was called out for the second round. Still in all, she possessed the best abs of the entire contest, and had there been a ‘most muscular' award given in this class - she owned it. Negrete, like a growing number of others, made the switch from figure in 2008 after several disconcerting results. Her best bet to move up now may be through the Masters competitions where she has already experienced very strong placings.
The Middleweights
Every National event is capable of producing the ‘unknown entity', and at this year's Nationals New Jersey's Lisette Acevedo was solidly under everyone's radar until she walked on stage at the prejudging. For some, seeing the 5-2, 123-pound Acevedo on RXMuscle's Iron Asylum video prior to the Nationals was evidence enough that she could inflict severe damage on whatever class she would enter. And with her high level of muscle definition, that is exactly what she did in the MW class. Relatively new to bodybuilding, Acevedo began with a LW win at the 2006 NPC New Jersey Gold's Classic. A year later she won the MW class at the Xcalibur - also in New Jersey. Then in 2008 she tasted the national level for the first time experiencing the proverbial wake-up call - a 14th-place finish as a light-heavyweight at the NPC Nationals. At that event she weighed in at 128, and the five-pound drop to the MW class this year was all she needed to dial in a well-balanced and very muscular physique.
All that said Acevedo's victory was far from a walk in the park. Idaho's Janet Kaufman was right with her every step of the way. A veteran of national-level competition for nearly a decade, Kaufman was in her best-ever condition at this event. Weighing in at a shredded 123 pounds, she was also considerably more polished in her general appearance than she has been in the past. As bodyparts go, the sartorius running down the inner side of the quad would not normally be a muscle that draws much attention - Kaufman managed to change that. In certain poses it was insanely defined and put an exclamation mark on her wildly defined quads. In short, she went the extra mile to put herself in the best condition she was capable. A former MW winner at the NPC Masters Nationals in 2007 and 2008, this was Kaufman's best finish at the NPC Nationals having finished as high as third in 2007.
Placing third was Texan Terri Harris. Another veteran competitor of many years dating back to 1996, Harris was entering her fifth NPC Nationals. A fifth place MW finisher in 2007, the 5-3 Harris fit right into the design of this class with so many competitors in a highly-defined level of condition. Harris has come a long way since her first NPC Nationals entry when she finished a distant 16th as a MW in 2002.
Suzanne Germano snagged the fourth-place spot coming off her MW and overall victory at the NPC Junior Nationals earlier this year. When considering overall improvement, Germano is a glowing example. At her first visit to the NPC Nationals in 2007 she finished 10th as a LW. Since then she has added muscle, improved her overall muscular balance, and greatly improved her general stage presence. The result has been far better results from the judges. It should also be noted that in 2004 and 2006 Germano competed in figure events with moderate success, but she has found her home in bodybuilding. Germano fits in well as ‘the little competitor that could'. And she has. Beyond all the competition, there should be a made-for-tv movie about Germano if producers were to listen.
Arizona's striking Angela Robertson captured the fifth and final trophy placing in this class. Yet another former figure competitor who continues to make a seamless transition from figure to bodybuilding, Robertson displayed an outstanding level of development in her back, arms and pecs. Her third-place MW finish at the 2009 NPC USA, together with a fifth-place finish here, are light years away from the 16th-place finish she experienced as a figure competitor at the 2006 NPC Junior Nationals. Weighing in at 121 pounds for this contest, Robertson added six quality pounds from the 115 ½ pounds she showed at the USA in July. She has more than enough in the way of physical tools to make a run at the title in this class in the future.
The Light-Heavyweights
The state of Washington has made a solid contribution to the NPC Nationals in the past by way of Brenda Raganot, Lora Ottenad (both overall winners) and 2003 NPC National MW champion and 2005 Ms. Olympia contestant Tonia Williams - all excellent bodybuilders in their own right. Now, Nicole Berg has the opportunity to follow their pro exploits after winning the light-heavyweight class at this year's NPC Nationals. Another competitor who succeeded in flying under the radar prior to this event, Berg weighed in at a beautifully-balanced 140 pounds. A bodybuilder who has competed ‘sparingly' over the years, that term may be an admitted major understatement. In fact the last anyone saw of this former overall winner at the 2004 Emerald Cup was at the 2005 NPC Nationals when she placed 10th in this same class. So, she takes four years off, comes back, and jumps from 10th to first. Not bad! One thing is certain, Berg is a stark reminder that muscle has memory, and it all came back to her on this night. Hopefully, it won't be another four years before she embarks on the pro experience. Her muscle shapes and structure will offer a pleasing addition to pro lineups.
Making the judging of this class all the more interesting was runner-up LaDawn McDay. A prime example of a diamond-in-the-rough physique, she already exudes that buffed and shiny look that will continue to turn judges' heads. At 138 pounds and entering her first NPC Nationals, McDay began to raise eyebrows with a third-place finish at the 2008 NPC Junior USA. This year, however, she has flat out trumpeted her presence with a pair of third-place LtHW finishes at the NPC USA and IFBB North American. Put simply, she is well on her way to reaching to pro level, and with her excellent structural qualities, a divine V-taper, and delts to die for, she will, in time, make a very fine pro.
Joining Berg and McDay in the first prejudging callout were Anita Nikolich and Tierany Chretien. Although Nikolich has considerably more national-level experience ( a fact that contributed mightily to her eventual third-place finish), Chretien nonetheless made a solid showing for herself and proving her LtHW victory at the 2009 Europa Super Show was no fluke. With a second callout bringing back Nikolich and Chretien along with Jennifer Gutierrez, Pam Franklin, and Joella Bernard, it was Jennifer Gutierrez who solidified a hold on the fifth-place position. For Nikolich, her finish tops the sixth-place LtHW spot she claimed at the 2008 NPC Nationals. Chretien, on the other hand was making her NPC Nationals debut a solid one and it bodes well for her future should she return to this contest. As for fifth-placer Jennifer Gutierrez, her finish equaled the fifth-place position she earned last year as a HW in the NPC Nationals - a different class, a different year, same result.....a result many would love to capture.
The Heavyweights
Always the most anticipated class of any contest, this year's NPC National heavyweight category did not disappoint. It had all the ingredients for a rip-roaring flexcapade and the cast of characters was more than capable of creating a judging nightmare. In the end, however, it came down to a 169-pound bodybuilder (the substance), combined with her stage presence (the style) that made for a winning physique this night. The competitor who exuded these qualities was Floridian Kris Murrell. As a competitor over the past four years Murrell has been at the edge of making a major breakthrough. Little did she realize when that breakthrough came it would propel her not only to an overall victory at the NPC Nationals but straight into the pro ranks - where many have felt she belonged anyway. With a physique that possesses large voluminous muscle shapes, along with the innate ability to display its sizeable beauty, Murrell fit the standard of what the judges were looking for in a HW bodybuilder at this event. Along with her Florida background, comparisons were made with fellow Floridian and 2008 NPC National champion Sheila Bleck in terms of how professionally her physique was displayed. Both women understand the beauty of a muscular female body and have taken careful steps to put that point across. Try to find anyone at the contest venue who wasn't fully impressed with Kris Murrell's muscular offering (we normally call it a posing routine), but for Murrell it had nothing to do with routine, it was a performance - and there is a big difference between the two. Much of what Kris Murrell can bring to the pro ranks, and what Sheila Bleck before her will eventually introduce is what bodybuilding is waiting for. And fans know it and appreciate it when they see it. The judges saw it - and Kris Murrell is now the newest NPC National overall champion.
Following Murrell in the runner-up position was Pennsylvanian Amber Defrancesco. An overall winner at the 2008 NPC Junior Nationals, Defrancesco is an excellent example of the complete bodybuilder. She is polished and shows great detail throughout a physique that weighed in at 145 pounds. Quads? forget it, put quarters in the separations. A markedly different physique than Murrell displayed, Defrancesco made for a most agreeable complement to Murrell's fullness and volume. Last year Defrancesco placed fourth in this class, she has everything she needs to move up one more place in the immediate future.
Sitting in the third position was South Carolina's Monique Jones. If there was ever a prime example of ‘a pro in waiting', it's Ms. Jones. There have been others over the years who have carried the same moniker, competitors such as Heather Armbrust who, once they cracked the ceiling and made it into the pro division, everyone wondered what took so long. The same will be true with this exceptionally talented and genetically blessed bodybuilder. A former figure competitor in 2005, '06 and '07, Jones made the jump to bodybuilding when it became obvious her physical qualities went far beyond the realm of figure. Once she becomes more comfortable on stage and continues to learn the disciplines of contest preparation, stand back. Last year Jones finished third in this contest. This year, along with a third at the IFBB North American, she has added another third at the NPC Nationals. Can much higher placings be far off?
If the was an award for ‘Newcomer of the Year' Texan Sarah Ann Hayes would get a multitude of votes. With just three contests in her pocket and all during the 2009 competitive season, Hayes is an impressive sight at 5-6 and weighing in the neighborhood of 140 pounds. Showing nice overall proportions, a detailed back, and arms whose development are beyond her years compared to her time in the sport, it is easy to see why Hayes was an overall winner at the NPC Ronnie Coleman Classic in April, the Europa Super Show in June, and the Lone Star Classic in August. Lump those together with a fourth-place finish at this event and you have the makings of a potential future star.
As a glowing example of just how competitive this class was, the spotlight can be centered on fifth-placer Nekole Hamrick. With a physique that has been described as ‘Coryesque' in its appearance, this Floridian displayed a highly aesthetic structure that included broad shoulders, a tiny waistline, and muscle shapes that are properly proportioned to fit her long bodylines. Hamrick does, indeed, fit the mold of a Cory Everson. And as Everson used to say, "I love it when people approach me and try to guess what sport it is I'm involved in." For the past two years Hamrick has been knocking on the door with a pair of runner-up finishes at this event. She has also been a HW winner at the 2007 IFBB North American. She can't get much closer that that. The future will be left to her level of patience. It will be a sad day if we lose her presence.
Subscribe to RxMuscle on Youtube
