Once again, promoter Pam Betz and Steve Karel put on a well run show with the events being held at the Georgia World Congress Center. Friday night kicked off the fitness competition with well over 100 athletes competing for the six coveted pro cards.

The two-piece round started things off and the short class proved to be quite competitive with lots of new faces as well as many familiar ones. Displaying a physique with a lot of added muscle was Nita Wilson, who at 4'8" might have appeared to be the biggest competitor in the short class. Texan Jennifer Wells looked very tight and lean with impressive abs while Kristin Ezzo easily took the award for best calves, sporting what could have been some of the best calves in all of the classes including the bodybuilders.

Jamie Allison Ansley performed a very solid routine, including performing all of her moves with authority. Her routine was a good example of how to hit and stick moves and was definitely a strength of hers. Columbus, Ohio native Cherie Beutel presented one of the classiest packages on stage and should continue to move up the ranks in future shows.

In the end however, it was Renee Masi that took the class title, earning her pro status.

The medium height class was also a tight race with Tanji Johnson coming out on top. Johnson has an infectious smile and exudes positive energy while on stage. Along with performing a solid routine, Johnson stormed her way to the class and overall titles.

Following Sharon Christian and Lori Kimes before her, Arkansas' Claire Morris took second wrapping up the other pro card in the division. In third was Lisa Uzzle who earned her placing in part on the strength of her strict and on-form 1-arm pushups. However Angela Semsch may have had the strongest presses and placed fourth, although she can easily move up and should earn her pro card soon.

Bethani Terrel was in very lean shape as was Susan Stivalo, but it was Yvette Veiga who was the hardest competitor on stage, with paper thin skin and the most shredded physique on stage by far. Of course she was counted off for it, and subsequently placed towards the bottom of the group.

Erin Lanahan had some good tumbling runs during her routine and had a streamlined body that with a tad more musculature should improve in future contests.

In the tall class, it was Amy Haddad who took the class. Interestingly enough, Haddad had already turned pro at the Team Universe but was not informed of the decision until just weeks before the Nationals. She chose to compete because so much time and preparation had already been invested, as well as the fact that many of her family and friends were coming out to support her. It's not clear if an additional pro card will be handed out or not because of this.

If there is an extra card made available, it would go to Lea Waide who took third place. Waide and sister Sara have both been taking the national stages in force along with fellow Team Vegas team mate Julie Mayer Hyman. All three obviously possess some of the Vegas style and presentation as their sashaying across the stage showed. Not only are all three strong performers, they also have the right stage presence to go along with that, not to mention a nice touch of glamour.

In fourth was young upstart Kristen Rosen, who has an incredibly bright future ahead of her in fitness. Possessing a smile as bright as any, Rosen has a solid presentation with excellent routines, a classy, sleek physique and awesome stage presentation.

Mary Dusang had a strong physique and was hard, while Louisa Wigand had impressive legs. Angela Glenn's routine was notable for the tumbling and Kelly Abrahamson and Susan Claxton both look to have promising futures in fitness with another year of competition under their belt.

When it was time for the lightweight bodybuilders to take the stage, it looked immediately like Elena Seiple-Perticari, Mary Ellen Doss and Angela Irizarry were going to be fighting for top honors. All three looked incredible with each having different strengths. Doss came in the hardest, while Seiple had lots of muscle, and Irizarry had the nicest lines.

However, Doss was not to be denied as she took first and the ensuing pro card. Promising Shannon Rabon came in slightly soft, and Mona Caravetta looked tight, but both just missed the top five. Michele Burdick's back was notable while Susan Facini and Mara Silva both had nice, balanced packages. Look for another battle for the lightweight class in upcoming shows as the division has become more and more competitive each year, with quality and depth.

The middleweight class was reminiscent of the USAs from a few years ago, as during the evening finals, Lisa Winston almost missed the show, which could have cost her precious points in the tight race to the top of the class. In the end, veteran Tonia Villalobos and her well-muscled, lean physique took the class as a deserving champion, with Winston close behind.

Winston's genetics will ensure that she remains competitive and she should turn pro soon enough. New York's Rosemary Jennings looked quite complete as well, coming in a bit smaller than a year ago, and balancing her physique out nicely. Her new package looks great, and Winston should keep an eye on her rearview mirror as Jennings will be keeping close chase.

California's Stephanie Starr competed again this year, and improved her physique while moving up into the middleweights. Christine Brandon rode the strength of her impressive back, while Gayle Frankie may have been a bit soft, but her underlying structure was immediately noticeable and should provide a great framework for improvements and added musculature to her physique.

Others to keep an eye out for include Sonja Haithcox, Debi Chance and Tracie Sheehan.

When the heavyweight class took the stage, it was filled with quality muscle and shredded cuts. Because of the size of the class, there was an elimination round during prejudging to cut the class down to a more manageable size. Those missing the cut included Sue Scheppele and Yamile Marerro who both came in ripped with visible striations in their glutes. Impressive conditioning on strong physiques, but the shreds were too much for the judges and the pair didn't get to compete in the finals.

Robin Herring was not able to make the cut, but her enthusiastic support crew were in full force. It was a shame that many of the competitors were cut and couldn't compete beyond the first portion of prejudging considering the amount of time they spent to get to the show, but it was a necessary move. A light-heavyweight class may help alleviate the problem, since in national level contests, it always seems to be that the heavyweight class is overwhelmingly large.

At the top of the callouts was Beth Roberts who built upon her strong showing at the USAs to sweep the judges scoresheets and take the class and overall titles. Roberts was chased by the fast improving and rising Rae Mokhtari along with Collette Nelson.

Closely following the top three were Dre Dillard and Tyra Risby. Dillard has one of the better routines and is a solid poser. Risby has great structure and a very balanced and symmetrical presentation. Both will be threats in the class whenever they compete.

Nursel Gurler had some of the fullest muscle bellies on stage and looked thick and strong. Gurler and Sherry Smith were two of the bigger girls on stage, and both looked strong. Mimi Jalabee of Marietta, GA was a new face to many and presented a solid, well balanced physique. Jalabee has structure somewhat similar to that of IFBB Pro Carmen Cotter, and has a solid amount of muscle to work with.

In the end, it appears that bodybuilding and fitness both continue to grown and attract new competitors. While this years Nationals was one of the largest ever, the competition remained tight all the way through. If it is any indication as to the health of the sport, bodybuilding and fitness are still going strong, and it was a fitting end to the national contest calendar for a tumultuous 2001.