2006 Team Universe/NY Pro Figure Contest Report
July
14-15,
2006 - by gene x hwang
New
York, NY,
USA - [Note: Because of our crazy July contest coverage
schedule (five contests in four weeks) we'll be doing overviews and results
more than full reports.]
Nearly
20 pro cards were up for the taking at the 2006 Team Universe championships
in New York City. Twelve were for new figure pros, six for fitness athletes
and just one for the female bodybuilders.
With
both fitness and bodybuilding waning on the competition side with fewer
and fewer athletes seeming to compete, figure continues to explode
- one reason may be quite evident by both the number of pro card and
pro opportunities available to figure athletes as well as the opposite
factor on the fitness and bodybuilding side.
This
makes perfect sense as if there are more opportunities to turn pro,
and many pro athletes looking like something you could acheive, then
someone might be more apt to take up that sport. Similarly, if there
are great competitors of a variety of looks and personalities, that
larger base would provide a larger draw to both a fan base, potential
sponsors and prospective athletes as well.
Muscle
Mayhem recently
interviewed some IFBB judges who spoke about the changes
in womens bodybuilding more specifically but those points mirror those
just stated above. Although there was only one pro card for the bodybuilders
at Team U, perhaps they can consider an option for a second one at
the NPC USAs in two weeks, if there is indeed someone qualified (or
even two additional cards if the competition warrants?).
This
is part of a larger topic, but seeing the listing of the 12 new figure
pros is a large number and even people from other countries can take
a dozen years to turn that many women pro.
Back
to the matter at hand, the twelve new pros are listed below in the
results, but a change in direction does seem to be getting made. It
started at the 2006
Jr Nationals and continued at Team U, although
some girls who did well a few weeks earlier and seemed poised to take
their pro cards in NYC were not the ones who did take the top placings.
Part
of that is the draw of the competition as it offers up the most opportunties
and hence more athletes compete, but also the changes in the judging
standards seem to be taking effect as well. The more muscled girls
are losing out and the more extremely conditioned girls are too.
Fitness
Nationals on the other hand had some bigger girls taking pro cards,
but the overall winner Hollie Stewart was a very deserving new pro
and should make an impact on the pro stage with her impressively creative
routines, excellent stage presence, and fantastic physique.
In
the women's bodybuilding, Stephanie Kessler should represent the US
well in international competition. She was very well conditioned and
won in a very tough heavyweight class ahead of Theresa Hendricks and
Jennifer Abrams as well as Michelle Morrison. Unfortunately for Morrison,
she had some problems during prejudging and almost fainted on stage
and
wasn't able to compete in the entire competition.
The
lightweights was also competitive with Tracie "TNT" Tucker
taking the class on her crisp conditioning and nice aesthetic lines.
She was
pushed
hard though by Cynthia Anderson who has a really nice v-taper and was
also dialed in.
Malea
Jensen pulled it together and won the middleweights ahead of
Linda Billings and nicely shaped Cassandra Floyd.
As
the USAs and Teen, Collegiate, Masters are just around the corner,
it'll be interesting to see which new pros are minted and what direction
figure and bodybuilding continue to go in.
In
the NY Pro Figure competition Jessica Paxson broke out and took the
show. Three other local girls rounded out the top five with Jennifer
Searles taking second, party hostess with the mostest Tara Scotti taking
third and Jeannette Freed taking fifth. Michelle Flake continues to
have a strong year and took fourth to complete the top five.
One
of the most overlooked competitors was Lucie Bergeron from Canada.
She looked extremely nice and shapely, but might have been deemed a
shade too muscular as the judges do need to make the moves they are
trying to make with the amateurs with the pros or else things won't
ultimately change. We shall see how that pans out in future pro figure
and bodybuilding shows....
Now
we're off to Pittsburgh - in the meantime, feel free to check
out our
message boards to see many more
photos, discuss the competition, post your thoughts
and chat with
the
athletes!
| Results |
Women's
Bodybuilding
Overall:
Stephanie Kessler*
Lightweights:
1) Tracie "TNT" Tucker
2) Cynthia Anderson
3) Patty Sasserman
4) Genivive Esquivel Fifo
5) Karen Genninati
6) Dallas Johnson
Middleweights:
1) Malea
Jensen
2) Linda Billings
3) Cassandra Floyd
4) Ruth Hyatt
5) Janelle Briggs
6) Joy Henderson
7) Carrie Ann Simmons
8) Leslie Crook
Heavyweights:
1) Stephanie Kessler*
2) Theresa Hendricks
3) Jennifer Abrams
4) Oliva Garner
5) Leeanne Scalfo
6)
Janelle Gallo
7) Paula Falk
Fitness
Overall:
Hollie
Stewart*
Short
Class:
1) Hollie Stewart*
2) Christy Green*
3) Nicole Duncan
4) Breean Robinson
5) Rose Hendricks
6) Tonya Burkhardt
7) Nita Marquez
8) Margaret Blanchard
9) Jessica Rohm
10) Jessica Nabinger
11) Sherlyn Roy
12) Monica Heiz
13) Michelle Theison
Medium
Class:
1) Karen
Patten*
2) Susan Groshek*
3) Amy Nelson
4) Angie English
5) Regan York
6) Sara Flom
7) Colleen Baldwin
8) Viko Newman
9) Safiya Johnson
10) Amy Johnston
11) Lori Smith
Tall
Class:
1) Laticia
Jackson*
2) Leslie Rae Newton*
3) Michelle Mayberry
4) Sandi Stuart
5) Liza Hughes
6) Sheri Vucick
7) Kristin Marie Acherson
8) Alissa Carpio
9) Lena Sanchez
10) Dawn Parker
8) Evette Wigfall
*
eligible for IFBB pro card
|
NY
Pro Figure
1)
Jessica Paxson
2) Jennifer Searles
3) Tara Scotti
4) Michelle Flake
5) Jeanette Freed
6) Tammy Pies
7) Elizabeth Lamm
8) Kate Shelby
9) Celeste Leandro Gonzalez
10) Petra MertL
11) Mary Jo Cooke-Elliot
12) Zivile Raudoniene
13) Laura Sutter
14) Nicole Pitcher-Scott
15) Amy Peters
16) Tina Marie Bloomfield
17) Chaundra Tangi
18) Lucie Bergeron
18) Susanne Bock
18) Natasha Brown
18) Kristina Henn
18) Alana Hernandez
18) Stephanie Worsfold
Figure
Overall:
Sonia Adcock*
Class A (5'2" and under)
1) Sonia Adcock*
2) Shelby Right*
3) Melissa Froio
4) Kristin Gomes
5) Jennifer DeJoya
6) Tivisay Briceno
7) Sherlyn Roy
8) Selena Zinno-Radzai
9) Jennifer Gates
10) Jessica Nabinger
11) Tiffany Procopio
12) Jodi Miller
13) Carmen Chavez
14) Jean Jitomir
15) Heather Whitworth-King
tied for 16th:
Toni L. Hatcher
Tonya Burkhardt
Kelli A. Correa
Angela Komis
Mary Acoury
Karen M. Bock
Fredericia J. Brant
Audrey Burk
Christine Camacho
Jill Knight
Cindy F. Martinez
Yves Nunez
Kathryn Payton
Julie Schoft
Lori Steele
Misty M. Tidmore
Vicki Counts
Jillian Wolf
Class
B
1) Kristi Tauti*
2) Tessa Wood*
3) Andrea Ferry
4) Allison Jones
5) Melody Clere
6) Karen Mullarkey
7) Gale Elie
8) Denise Rose
9) Stacy Cannady
10) Stacy Adams
11) Katrina Robinson
12) Sarah Hoy
13) Halcyon Duarte
14) Elissa Schlichter
15) Viko Newman
tied for 16th:
Michelle Woodward
Eydie Anderson
Amber Black
Danielle Colgan
Edith Driver
Michele Pome
Class
C
1) Corry Matthews*
2) Amber Steinmetz*
3) Michele Naylon
4) Becky Clawson
5) Angie Picarello
6) Ginger Redeker
7) Lynn Widdowson
8) Grace Rivera
9) Gina Ostarly
10) Amy Nelson
11) Jennifer Cowan
12) Heather Green
13) Jana Stewart
14) Teresa Ruybal
15) Christine Ritchie
tied for 16th:
Tanya Pennington
Debra Dunn
Sheron Falcon
Dr. Angel Allison
Heidi Hanson
Sarah Pawlicki
Toya Smith
Camille Westhoff
Class
D
1) Nina DeTommaso*
2) Jelena Abbou*
3) Tracy Guarino
4) Christine Ranking
5) Kristy Stone
6) Yashanda Stafford
7) Danielle Kifer
8) Kiersten Weber
9) Dawn Parker
10) Abby Eyre
11) Natalie Verges
12) Michelle Bishop
13) Carol Ruiz
14) Kimmy Addiego
15) Amy Burkins
tied for 16th:
Karen Sherman
Heather Miller
Danielle Carrington
Class
E
1) Elisha Archibald*
2) Stephanie Collins*
3) Stacey Boles
4) Paola Almerico
5) Nola Trimble
6) Stacy Clary
7) Catherine O'Guin
8) Jennifer Schumm
9) Shari Yates
10) Suzanne Barlas
11) Ginger Hutchinson
12) Vicky Ann Crouse
13) Dorothy Trojanowicz
14) Rebecca Ibbs
15) Kimberly Schaefer
tied for 16th:
Joan Totaro
Guiliana Casalan
Ginger D. Hutchinson
Aimee Palinkas
Dena Anne Weiner
Class F
1) Cheri Lewis*
2) Amy Fry*
3) Simona Douglas
4) Misty Green
5) Alicia Marie
6) Avis Ware
7) Melissa Montanaro
8) Christine Holland Morrow
9) Michelle Troll
10) Stephanie McDonald
11) Caity Hunt
12) Jessica Wright
13) Teresa Anthony
14) Traci Redding
15) Shawni DeSalvo
tied for 16th:
Danielle Rouleau
Jessica Steffens
Jamie Justin
Amy Bates
Felicia Bruno
Tatianna Butler
Tycie N. Coppett
Maria Corsaro
Heather Foster
Martha Lepe
Tamee Marie
Violet Mundy
Amy Odle
Francesca Okoye
Elise Prucha
Sonia Razo
Jamie Reed
*
eligible for IFBB pro card |
Last
updated: July 17, 2006 @ 9:42 p.m.
PT
