2007 Gene X Magazine Awards (5th Annual!)
2007 is now in the books but was another banner year with figure again dominating the competitive ranks, but women's bodybuilding saw the return of the Jan Tana and 2008 sees the return of American Gladiators to NBC. Here's who we thought were some of the standouts from 2007! (Note: click on any of the thumbnail images below to see the full sized shots!)
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Amateur Awards |
Best Overall (our way of awarding a Pro card):
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Michelle Neil - how many times did she get on stage totally ripped with a trememdous physique? Enough to earn our Best Overall title - that's for sure! Keep on keeping on Michelle - you rock! |
Best Lower Body (bodybuilder):
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Holly Geersen and Michelle Jin - two impressive athletes that have legs to die for. Geersen looked the best she ever has in 2007 and we hope to see more of Jin as well! |
Best Lower Body (fitness/figure):
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Ana Sanchez - Ana is from Puerto Rico and had actually competed at the Jr Nationals a few years back, but this year while attending the Nationals we just couldn't overlook her and her impressive physique which was marked by her tremendous lower body development. |
Best Upper Body:
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Mary Carmen Segura - At the North Americans in 2007, when Mary Carmen Segura took the stage, she already looked like a pro and while she was in fact an amateur, her upper body development was already world class. Look for Seguar to do some damage in the pro ranks in 2008! |
Best Figure Athlete:
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Veronica Miller and Lindsey Cope- These two stars were the center of attention whenever they took the stage and even offstage as well. Look for big things from both in the future and you'll be sure to see a lot more of them here on FTV and everywhere else! |
Best Fitness Athlete:
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Traci Redding - We always knew that Traci was hot, but her routines burned up the stage as she earned her pro card in 2007. We're glad she made the switch from figure to fitness too as she'll be an asset to the sport! |
Most Improved:
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Amy Neal, Christine Sabo and Britt Miller - wow these three athletes took the stage in 2007 displaying incredible improvements to their physiques. What's even more impressive is that they all were top national level competitors but still took it up a notch. Don't be surprised to see both of them earning their pro cards in '08! |
Crossover?
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Jennifer Martyniuk - Jennifer has a tremendous physique and we know that she has competed in bodybuilding before and we'd love to see her cross back over. She's exactly what bodybuilding needs and has an amazing physique to boot - either way though we look forward to seeing her on stage again. |
Pro Awards
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Best Overall:
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Heather Armbrust - well, we can't just give this to Iris every year and she of course is the reigning Ms. Olympia, but outside of her, we really were impressed with Heather's first year on the pro circuit. Look for more big things from her - we definitely do! |
Best Upper Body:
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Annie Rivieccio - we love Annie, one of the workhorses of the entire industy working hard competing, always in shape and then shooting to boot - we have no idea how she does it - she's even able to hang with us at shows for a few cocktails. Well, one look at her upper body and we see why she puts us all to shame... |
Best Lower Body:
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Lisa Aukland - wow Lisa just keeps getting better. She's been steadily improving her physique every year and of course those legs can't be overlooked. She's been improving her placings at the top shows and has done a lot for the sport - a great spokesperson for women's bodybuilding! |
Best Fitness Pro:
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Kim Klein - well she's been knocking at the door for a while and we've always been impressed with her physique as well as her steadily improving fitness skills. In 2007 she put it all together and we salute you Kim! |
Best Figure Pro:
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Jennifer Gates - we've always been a fan of Jen's since the old school days so when she turned pro, we knew she'd be kicking ass. She's probably the hottest figure athlete going right now and 2008 will be her first full season on the pro stage - watch out! |
Best Abs:
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Karen Zaremba - the first ever pure crossove from figure to bodybuilding in the pro ranks immediately made us fans of Karen. Pair that with terrific stage presence and she definitely adds a lot to the ranks of pro bodybuilders. And then of course are those abs - we had to create this award just for Karen and her six/eight pack! |
Rising Stars (clockwise from top left) |
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Kira Neuman, Kim Ferrell, Lindsey Cope, Cheryl Faust and Robyn Mentgen - all of these women made an impact in 2007 and as relatively new faces on the scene, we expect to see more of them all. Keep your eyes out for all five competitors to win some classes, if not overall titles in 2008! |
Gene X's Top Picks for 2007
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Best Poser:
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Lindsey Cope - well, I first met Lindsey and had an impromptu shoot outside a show in Sacramento and she was incredible then. The next shoot was a full on one after she won the Nevada State Figure Championships and this time she was just as good if not better. Lindsey has a ton of different looks and I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more of her published. |
Most Photogenic (amateur):
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Jill Brooks - every time I see Jill she just looks better and better. From her piercing eyes to her curvy physique, Jill has a lot of fans and it's not hard to see why. We're looking forward to doing a lot more work with Jill and I'm sure you'll be anticipating seeing the new shots we get - she's a pro in front of the lens! |
Most Photogenic (pro):
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Marja Lehtonen - well believe it or not I personally had not shot with Marja before 2007 since James had a lot of work already with her. However, at the Jan Tana we connected and had a shoot and I now know why there are no bad pictures of Marja - not only is she always in shape, she's also a fantastic poser who's very creative and knows just how to show off that incredible physique! |
James Cook's Top Picks for 2007 |
Best Outfits:
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Krissy Chin - At the beginning of each photoshoot, I will ask the model, "What did you bring to shoot with today?" Occasionally, you will have a model like Krissy that has tons of choices! That is a good thing! Krissy's outfits also have a 'fun' element to them that makes for some great shots! |
Best Poser:
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Rebekka Armstrong - Rebekka is a joy to work with because she has worked with some of the top photographers in the world! She knows what angles look best and is comfortable in experimenting with different poses. |
Most Photogenic (amateur):
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Jamie Reed - This was the first year I worked with Jamie and heard a lot of good things about her. She has a very nice 'range' of looks, from strong and commanding to vulnerable and shy! Now that she hit the big time on the new American Gladiators, the secret is out! Hey, dont forget about us, Jamie! |
Most Photogenic (pro):
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Liane Seiwald - Liane seems to 'transform' when she is in front of the camera. I didnt really notice until i looked at the photos later. Her eyes really grab your attention and her pleasant smile indicate she is totally comfortable in front of the lens. Liane is also a timeless beauty. I would swear by looking at some of these shots that she was not a day over 19 years old! |
Last Updated January 17, 2008 - Discuss our picks on our message boards! |
