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High Stakes Bodybuilding:
The N.P.C. USA Rolls Into Las Vegas
by Larry Pepe
There are probably more clichés then you'd want to wade through that could
begin an article about one of the world's most prestigious amateur
bodybuilding contests being staged in the neon capital of the world. The
stakes? High. Very high, to the tune of 9 I.F.B.B. pro cards up for grabs.
The odds of snagging one? Slim. Real slim when you realize that this was the
largest national show in NPC history with over 240 contestants. By the time
the clock struck 11 PM on Saturday, August 5, 2000 there were 6
brand-spanking new Fitness Pros, 2 more guys approved for entry in to the
pose for pay ranks and a woman who may prove to personify the N.P.C.'s new
judging standards for women walked away with a pro card in her first
national contest appearance! If you were betting on the outcome of this one,
you'd still be at the sports book trying to explain how you planned to pay
the house its money.
We'll run down the men's competition and conclude with some other
observations about the Fitness and Women's contests as well as some fun
stuff about the event in general, gossip you won't want to miss and other
goings on at the show.
Bantamweight
In an easy weight class win, a very symmetrical and conditioned Lance
Herrano bested a field of 9 quality athletes. Alan Terrell was a strong
choice for second with good clean lines and ample muscle. Third place
finisher George Gibson gets my award for inspirational athlete of the show
as he apparently has a physical challenge with one of his legs that sure
didn't stop him from presenting the most muscular physique in this class.
Lightweight
Last year's runner up in the Lightweight Class at the NPC Team Universe
competition, Jose Raymond outmuscled, literally, the other 8 contestants on
his way to a big national class win. Jose was simply too muscular for the
rest of the class, presenting a thicker, better-conditioned package than the
rest. Johnny McKnight IV and Bertram Stiff, second and third respectively,
were both neck and neck with Jose for the class until the three exceptional
athletes turned to the rear. Jose's back, hamstrings and glutes dominated
from this angle and the rest, as they say, was history.
Middleweight
Would Jose's much publicized brother Tito Raymond match his placing and walk
away with the USA Middles? Afraid not. But in all fairness the class was
much more loaded with quality physiques, two of whom were in a world of
their own at the top of this class. Simply put, there was NPC Middleweight
and Overall Junior National Champion Mike Valentino and there was NPC USA
Middleweight Champ Johnny Stewart, who has also won the NPC Team Universe
too many times to count. Then there was everyone else. Valentino displayed a
complete, symmetrical and absolutely shredded physique on his way to 10 out
of 11 first place votes. When Mike turned to the rear, the striations in his
lower back and hamstrings were evident from the lobby! Johnny was incredible
as well. He is packed with thick, quality, conditioned muscle that comes
from years of hard work in the gym. Both Mike and Johnny are great
representatives of bodybuilding who help other athletes and give back to the
sport they obviously love. Too bad we couldn't give 2 first places in this
class. No one would have complained. Tito was third and should win this
class at Team Universe, unless Johnny shows up.
Light-Heavyweight
National veteran Fred Bigot walked with this class, besting 21 great
athletes. Fred had everything you could look for as a judge. He was complete
from all angles, rock hard and carried full, dense muscle. Let's put it this
way-when he stood next to the Heavyweight class winner in the final
posedown, he did more than hold his own the whole way. Second in this class
went to a very impressive, symmetrical and complete Johnnie Jackson. Johnnie
needed to be a bit harder to challenge for the class. Eddie Linda was well
conditioned and received three second place votes on his way to a solid
third place finish.
Heavyweight
I have been judging at the National level in the NPC since 1994 and I can
honestly say that this was the deepest, most impressive class I've ever
seen. Just to give you an idea of what a difference a year makes, 1999 top 5
finisher Leon Parker finished 15th this year in about the same condition!
Pre-contest favorite Tevita Aholelei scored a unanimous first place finish
and looked great at the Friday night prejudging. He looked very focused and
determined on stage as if he was not going to rest until he received his pro
card. Tevita has thick, round dense muscle everywhere and presents his
physique very well. Second place finisher Troy Alves looked phenomenal. A
former USA Light-Heavyweight Champ, Troy wears the extra muscle very well.
Unlike so many competitors who move up a class and don't come in as hard,
Troy was shredded and dense. He needs a little more leg thickness-especially
in the hamstring/glute area-to balance his physique and he'll be tough for
any heavyweight to beat at next year's USA. One guy who does not need any
more leg size is third place finisher Branch Warren. Branch had the best
legs in the entire contest by a long shot. His hams, calves and quads were
all thick and cross-striated. When Branch brings his upper body thickness a
bit more into balance with his legs he may weigh 250! Watch out for him.
Super-Heavyweight
Time for the really big boys. How big? How about 278 pound Quincy Taylor-the
heaviest athlete to ever compete in an NPC National show! The pre-contest
buzz in the magazines and elsewhere had the battle in this class shaping up
between last year's USA runner-up Erik Fromm, perennial Wheeler/Cormier
posse member and friend Rico McClinton who was third at last year's
Nationals, and East Coast arm-freak Matt Duval who finished second to Aaron
Maddron at the '99 Nationals. So what do you think the odds were of a
competitor who won the Junior Nationals almost 15 years ago who was also
moving up a weight class coming in to Vegas and trumping the largest field
of NPC national competitors ever en route to a pro card? Impossible? Guess
again because that's exactly what happened. 80's standout Bob Cicherillo,
fresh off a second place finish at the '99 Nationals in the heavies, gained
about 8 or 9 pounds, came in even better condition and routed the field with
a unanimous class win. Bob was symmetrical, shredded and proved that
persistence pays.
Second place finsiher, Junior National and Team Universe Champ Robert
Washington of Texas looked great. He was huge and symmetrical, although not
quite as hard as I've seen him. If he were a bit tighter, he probably would
have won the class. Third place finisher Bill Wilmore of Florida just needs
to keep putting on more quality mass and he'll be dangerous. Bill was in
phenomenal condition with great detail and separation, especially in his
back poses, head to toe.
Other notables: Fourth place finisher Dave Palumbo was, as usual, the
hardest, most shredded athlete in the show. Dave does more with what God
gave him than anyone. He is always thick and crazy-shredded, only being held
back by genetic limitations. In my book that deserves a lot more credit than
guys with genetics to die for who don't bother to come in shape. Fifth place
finisher Rico McClinton has a great attitude about the sport. He was a bit
off for this one and needs to bring his lower body into line with his vastly
improved upper body but was still worthy of a top five finish and smiled
through the whole process. Rico beat sixth place finisher Erik Fromm in a
tie-breaker. Out of everyone in this great class, Erik looks to me to have
the greatest potential to be a very competitive pro. He was up about 15
pounds from last year (he weighed in at 260) but probably needed to be
between 252 and 255. If he combines last year's conditioning with this year'
s new quality size at the Nationals, I think he'll be a pro. Precontest
favorite Matt Duvall finished a disappointing 11th and didn't look anything
like he did last year. He was so far off that condition that I wonder if he
had any injury or illness that hampered his preparation.
Overall Posedown
With a great rule change that allows the top 2 competitors overall to turn
pro in the men's divison, the 1999 USA saw Melvin Anthony and Garett Downing
graduate. Who would be the two lucky winners in the first USA of the new
Millennium? By process of elimination, it was easy to drop out Bantam champ
Herrano and Lightweight champ Raymond. Middleweight champ Mike Valentino was
easily the most conditioned class winner, but it's still very hard for a guy
176 to beat national level winners who outweigh him by as much as almost 60
pounds. That left the three big boys. Cicherilo was an easy overall winner
of the show and received the first pro card. That left Lightheavy champ Fred
Bigot and Heavyweight Champ Tevita Aholelei to pensively wait for the
announcement. Tevita was not as hard at the finals as he had been at the
prejudging. In fact, if the Heavyweight class was judged on Saturday night,
many felt that runner-up Troy Alves would have been the victor. While Fred
didn't give up much to Tevita in the final posedown, Tevita was awarded the
second pro card and is on his way to the IFBB. He is a great competitor and
probably has the potential to ultimately do more on the pro level than Bob.
Congratulations to both of them on being the first two IFBB pros of the new
century.
*Received IFBB Pro Status
MEN'S DIVISION
Overall: Bob Cicherillo, NY*
Runner-Up: Tevita Aholelei, CA*
Bantamweight
1.. Lance Harano, HI
2.. Alan Terrell, IL
3.. George Gibson, GA
4.. Jerry Newcomb, WA
5.. Perry McRae, NC
6.. Alan Watari, CA
7.. Manuel Vigil, CO
8.. Jim King, NV
9.. Mark Brown, NC
Lightweight
1.. Jose Raymond, MA
2.. Johnny McKnight, NC
3.. Bertram Stiff, MD
4.. Marco Margiotta, CA
5.. Johnny Traynor, CA
6.. Robert Alexander, MO
7.. Clifton Torres, HI
8.. Gerald Howe, AZ
9.. Paul Devine, CA
Middleweight
1.. Mike Valentino, NC
2.. Johnny Stewart, NC
3.. Tito Raymond, CA
4.. Stan McQuay, CA
5.. Rene Endara, FL
6.. Prince Fontenot, TX
7.. Sereiryth Leandre, CA
8.. Paul Smith, CA
9.. Monty Mabry, VA
10.. Mark Colbert, CA
11.. Joe Miller, CA
12.. Frank Krammer, AZ
13.. Garrett Townsend, CO
14.. Brian Hoydic, PA
15.. Roger Zarate, CA
16.. James Freeman, CA
17.. Kevin Booker, CA
Chris Donaldson, NE
Louis Tafoya, CA
Bryant Zamora, CA
Light-Heavyweight
1.. Fred Bigot, MA
2.. Johnnie Jackson, TX
3.. Eddie Linda, SC
4.. Kris Dim, CA
5.. Anthony Watkins, IL
6.. Jason Palofax, TX
7.. Richard Williams, CA
8.. Damon Island, CA
9.. Kirk Keffer, CA
10.. Henrik Thamasian, CA
11.. John McKinney, TX
12.. William Owens, OH
13.. Ron Smith, CA
14.. Ray Werner, PA
15.. Travis Branstetter, OH
16.. Timothy Garrett, LA
Bobby Holmes, CA
Laurence Rowe, NV
Randall Samuels, CA
Kenny Santiago, CA
Mark Vestrand, AZ
Heavyweight
1.. Tevita Aholelei, CA*
2.. Troy Alves, AZ
3.. Branch Warren, TX
4.. Abbas Khatami, CA
5.. Eric Shannon, NV
6.. Arthur Fickling, WA
7.. Mike Dragna, HI
8.. John Meadows, OH
9.. Vic Melendez, NY
10.. Robert Bonavente, FL
11.. John King, FL
12.. Vic Tringali, MD
13.. Augustus Carter, TX
14.. Terence Hairston, VA
15.. Leon Parker, NC
16.. Alex Bartoli, NY
Super-Heavyweight
1.. Bob Cicherillo, NY*
2.. Robert Washington, TX
3.. Bill Wilmore, FL
4.. David Palumbo, NY
5.. Rico McClinton, CA
6.. Erik Fromm, CO
7.. Art Atwood, WI
8.. Quincy Taylor, CA
9.. Omar Deckard, CA
10.. David Hughes, OR
11.. Matt Duval, NJ
12.. Chris Bennett, CT
13.. Idrise Ward-el, TX
14.. Michael Horn, TN
15.. Eddie Hoggett, HI
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WOMEN'S BODYBUILDING DIVISION
Overall: Jennifer McVicar, OK*
Lightweight
1.. Mary Ellen Doss, NC
2.. Pam Kusar, OH
3.. Tammi Flynn, WA
4.. Patricia Hamashin, CA
5.. Angie Rojas, TX
6.. Tricia Travis, AZ
7.. Stephanie Starr, CA
8.. Janet Kaufman, ID
9.. Catherine Sanson, CA
10.. Pamela Ty, CA
Middleweight
1.. Jennifer McVicar, OK*
2.. Dawn Riehl, CA
3.. Becky Rampey, CA
4.. Mah-Ann Mendoza, OR
5.. Raheema Mokhtari, TX
6.. Kathie Canepa Sears, HI
7.. Robin Herring, SC
8.. Kerry Quinn, MA
9.. Makeba Moore, CA
10.. Yolanda Martinez, CA
11.. Karen Tucker, CA
12.. Karen Aguilera, CA
13.. Carrie Ledford, OK
14.. Stacy Garonzik, PA
15.. Beth Eisenman, FL
16.. Tracy Mason, MI
17.. Terry Barbiere, MI
Charlotte Campbell, AK
Malea Jensen, IA
Heavyweight
1.. Lora Ottenad, WA
2.. Robin Parker, LA
3.. Annie Rivieccio, GA
4.. Carol Quarles, NH
5.. Kathy Johansson, AZ
6.. Tonia Williams, WA
7.. Debi Laszewski, WI
8.. Michelle Tuggle, HI
9.. Carla Haug, CA
10.. Jayne Trcka, CA
11.. Diane Solomons, CA
12.. Jeannie Phelps, CO
13.. Gwendolyn Malone, CA
14.. Carmen Brady, CA
15.. Fatima Johnson, CA
16.. Sheila Bleck, OR
17.. Catherine Wilbert, LA
18.. Nan Allard, UT
Michelle Falsetta, NY
Christine Fetzer, TX
Trudy Ireland, OK
Melissa Metzler, OK
Vonnie Smith, OK
Becca Swanson, NE
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WOMEN'S FITNESS DIVISION
Overall Winner: Nicole Hobbs, CA*
Short Class
1.. Nicole Hobbs, CA*
2.. Sherma Dillard, FL*
3.. Jennifer McKinnon, IA
4.. Renee Stewart, CA
5.. Allison Bookles, OH
6.. Heather McCormick, GA
7.. Bebe Giraldo, CA
8.. Annie Curstola, NY
9.. Selena Zinno, PA
10.. Annie Symanski, OH
11.. Sindey Harris, FL
12.. Stephanie Wilkins, AZ
13.. Diana Monti, GA
14.. Darla Muller, OK
15.. Regan Vargo, MI
Medium Class
1.. Lisa Reed, FL*
2.. Heidi Neubauer, WI*
3.. Angel Friend, MD
4.. April Carpenter, OH
5.. Bethani Terrell, OK
6.. Doreen Reck, MI
7.. Heather Cox, CA
8.. Anna Merchan, FL
9.. Gina Tomaseski, FL
10.. Patty Garner, WI
11.. Eileen Devine, MD
12.. Mari Kudla, OH
13.. Stephanie Parr, WA
14.. Kelli Packard, WA
15.. Lori Kimes, AR
16.. Sei Ryan, WA
17.. Jennie Hanke, TX
18.. Angela Semsch, MO
19.. Tammie Leady, GA
20.. Sandy Gill, WA
21.. Angela Wehage, OK
22.. Kathy Bernard, AZ
23.. Michelle Lee Jung, AZ
24.. Sandie Ward, AZ
25.. Melyssa St. Michael, MO
Jodie Tate, CO
Alicia Uberuaga, ID
Tall Class
1.. Abbie Appel, FL*
2.. Julie Palmer, OH*
3.. Beth Horn, IL
4.. Michelle Galardi, SC
5.. Angela Carney, FL
6.. Carrie Fickle, OH
7.. Bethany Carter Howlett, VA
8.. Celeste Chance, MD
9.. Tracey Greenwood, DE
10.. Karen Kassner, OH
11.. Soumaya Wilmore, CA
12.. Laura Schoonekase, LA
13.. Deborah Bullman, HI
14.. Brandee Hughes, IN
15.. Allyson Mehta, OH
16.. Lea Waide, NV
17.. Sara Waide, NV
18.. Teresa Hardesty, OK
19.. Cathy Nordyke, OH
20.. Dawn Thomas, MI
21.. Akondaye Fountain, TX
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