For the fifth time in the distinguished history of the NPC National Championships, Atlanta, Georgia, played host to this annual event, and as national-level bodybuilding events go, it was of the monumental variety.

   Staged at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in downtown Atlanta on the evening of November 22nd, a total of 80 contestants took part in the four divisions of women's bodybuilding. Only two other NPC Nationals have draw more contestants (82 in 2003, and 81 in 1992), and this year's Georgia bash was considerably larger than when it was last held at this same location in 2005 when 63 contestants competed.

   This year's competitor interest is significant considering only 42 contestants took part in each of the NPC Nationals in 1995 and 1997 - and with a national economy that has been less than energetic over the past several months, it is encouraging to see the women continuing to support the sport.

THE LIGHTWEIGHTS

Colorado's Rita Rae has only been 42 years old for a few weeks, but at her age she has accomplished something no other women has ever done in NPC Nationals history.

    She won her class tonight by presenting a professional overall look that judges always hope to see, and that combined with her victory at the NPC USA back in July makes her one of only three lightweights ever to achieve that elusive double victory - the others, Susan Roberts and Susie Jaso did it in 1983 and 1985 respectively.

   But what makes this dynamic 4-11, 113-pounder extra special is that she is the first woman ever to win both major national level titles (the NPC USA and NPC Nationals) at over 40 years of age.  Talk about a rare achievement!

   Competing since 1991 Rae has competed in several parts of the country over the years depending on where she lived at the time.  With competitions in Minnesota, California, and Colorado, it was fairly easy to avoid the bright lights of future stardom.  Not any more.  Displaying what the judges felt was the ideal look for a lightweight bodybuilder, Rae topped a field that included several challengers who packed impressive muscle as well as several who possessed plenty of savvy and stage experience to make the final decision a difficult one.

   Just how difficult the judge's decision was can be best illustrated by the final scores in this class.  Rita Rae's winning tally was 8 points. 

   Runner-up to Rae was New Yorker Tammy Patnode.  Showing a decidedly different style of physique with a great degree of muscular detail on her 5-1, 112-pound structure caused a judging dilemma that ended with a dead heat.  Patnode's final score was also 8 points, and the decision to select the champion went to a count back of the judges - meaning that Patnode most probably lost by only one judge leaning towards Rae. Heart swrenching, needless to say, Patnode, who works as a hairdresser in Lake Placid, was the 2007 NPC Junior National lightweight champion and will no doubt be back in 2009 to score that extra point to put her over the top.

   As the antithesis to Patnode - who has been competing since 1999 - third placer Lisa James is more of the mega-veteran variety by comparison.  From Roanoke, Virginia, and well-known for her insanely high-peaked biceps, she has been on the contest trail since 1992.  And along the way she managed to win three NPC Jan Tana Amateur Grand Prix titles in 1997, 1999, and 2003. More recently she was the 2007 IFBB North American lightweight champion, and if her physical strength was every brought to question she can boast an official bench press of 235 pounds at a bodyweight of 114 while competing in IPA powerlifting competitions. Here, she fit in nicely as a top notch lightweight bodybuilder.

   Fourth went to Californian Barbara Fletcher - always a crowd favorite as she displays a remarkable pound-for-pound monument to bodybuilding for those under five-feet tall.  At just 4-9 her physique is inspirational as well as impressive.  The lightweight class winner at the NPC USA in 2005 while weighing under 100 pounds, she has added more muscle(weighing in at 104) giving her an even more striking presence.  In this class, however, her overall structural lines may have looked less aesthetic based on the judges' criteria for the event.

   Finishing fifth was Lori Steele.  From Windham, New Hampshire, Steele is still riding the crest of her 2008 IFBB North American lightweight title in late August. That victory, in tandem with the wedge she drove into the top-five here, bodes well for this solid competitor in 2009.

THE MIDDLEWEIGHTS

In one respect, Diana Tinnelle etched herself a piece of NPC Nationals bodybuilding history tonight by becoming the first competitor from Arizona ever to win the middleweight class at this event.  And she did it in fine style. Offering a beautifully balanced 5-3, 125 pound frame that was about as aesthetically pleasing as it gets, Tinnelle brought all the qualities a national judge keeps in mind at this premier contest. Tinnelle's overall package was textbook in its presentation - she showed polish, style, attention to detail and above all, the look of a pro on this evening.  In essence, the results became something an afterthought - almost.

   In winning the NPC Nationals here, along with her NPC USA victory earlier in the year, Tinnelle joins fellow, and former middleweights Dinah Anderson - 1983, Vickie Gates - 1993, and Tonia Williams - 2003 (all of whom became very respectable IFBB pros) to win both events in the same year - an impressive trio indeed.

   As was the case with the lightweight class, the middleweight top-five also carried a considerable degree of experienced competitors and impressively muscular physiques.  Those who finished in the remaining four positions would bear out that fact.  And the first was runner-up Tracy Mason.

   With Tinnelle getting her start as a figure competitor in 2004, she is a babe in the woods compared to the ultra-veteran background of Tracy Mason. First, it should be noted that Tinnelle and Mason were only separated by three points in a final score of 6 to 9.

   But Tracy Mason has seen it all and done it all where bodybuilding contests are concerned.  In fact just getting to this event would have put most other competitors in a rubber room. Mason, who lives in Marquette, Michigan, had her Thursday flight cancelled due to heavy snow in Detroit. Friday she managed to get a flight from Milwaukee after a seven hour drive, and upon arriving, with barely enough to gain her composure, she stepped right in to the prejudging - an effort that, inarguably, goes way beyond the call of duty.

  However, much of the reason why Mason (who longtime followers of the sport will remember as Tracy Palubiak) was able to keep her wits about her, comes from a competitive career that began with a 1986 lightweight and overall victory at the NPC Missouri, followed by a middleweight win at the 1987 NPC Michigan. That's 22 years ago if you're counting. Add to that countless entries at the national level including a 2001 middleweight victory at the NPC Junior Nationals to go with a more recent 2006 NPC Junior Nationals overall win, and a MW victory at the 2007 IFBB North Americans, you quickly see why very little can phase this ‘glutton for punishment'! She's clearly a tough customer when her sights are set on displaying her physique.

   Third went to Minnesota's Julia Korfhage.  From St. Paul, it's a wonder she was lucky enough to escape the snowy regions of the Great Lakes and land in time for this event.  Lesser known than many at the national level competitors (she was the 2004 NPC Minnesota overall state champion), Korfhage is deceptively good in her overall look. She grows on judges. Last year at the Nationals she made a solid statement with a respectable fourth-place finish.  This year she jumped to third. Higher placings may await in her future.

   Fourth placer Suha Qasem can't help but impress those who are fans of highly dense muscularity throughout a physique.  Called out in the first prejudging round, many were impressed with her well-rounded biceps, horseshoe triceps, and insanely-separated quads. She certainly looks to have higher placements in her future.  A ninth-place finisher at the 2006 NPC Nationals as a light-heavyweight weighing 135 pounds, her move down to middleweight worked well to give her overall structure a more aesthetic look.

   The top five was finalized with Californian Claire O'Connell.  Another of those competitors you can't help be impressed with as they boggle the mind with great muscle density on such diminutive bodies. At this event O'Connell may have simply been passed over due to those who carried such impressive levels of detailed muscle on their physiques in this division.  One thing is certain, she has the capacity to challenge for the top spot as witnessed by her lightweight victory at the 2006 NPC USA.  She is still growing into the middleweight class.

THE LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHTS

Where do you begin to scribble down how much this evening must mean to Elena Seiple?  What a long, often frustrating, and many times heart-breaking journey this woman has traveled to finally make it to her appointed place among the NPC National weight class champions who have moved on to the IFBB pro ranks.

   Think about it. How many of the most die-hard bodybuilders would endure what she has with regard to her placements dating back to her earliest competitive days in 1999. From 2000 until tonight virtually every year she found herself smack dab in the middle of a battle for a top spot and a potential victory that always seemed to elude her grasp.

   Imagine.  In 2000 as a lightweight she finished second at the Nationals. A year later she was third among the National lightweights.  Then in 2002 she dropped to fourth while moving up to the middleweight National class. At the 2003 USA she placed third in the MW class. Then in 2004 she once again played bridesmaid placing second in the National light-heavyweight class.  The 2005 season was equally frustrating when she ran second at the USA in the light-heavies, followed by a third-place finish at the Nationals.  Undeterred, she bounced back in 2006 only to finish second once again in the National light-heavyweight category.  For many, the 2007 Nationals might have been the crowning blow in wiping away any desire to continue when she slipped to fourth - again as a light-heavy.

   But tonight was different. Those in attendance said they could feel it in the air.  There was an unmistakable charge of positive energy that had Elena Seiple's name written all over it. After nine years of entering national-level contests, including seven entries at the NPC Nationals, Elena Seiple had her moment.  After career competitions that took her through three different weight classes, she found a home in the light-heavyweights that finally enabled her to earn the top spot nationally.

   Her website will tell you she was born in 1973 in a small town in New Jersey named Harmony. Tonight in Atlanta, Georgia, there is Harmony in Elena Seiple's competitive life, and that feeling of winning under her unique set of circumstances will stay with her for a lifetime.

   For the record, the final score sheet shows Elena winning her class by a unanimous vote of the judges - a sort of icing on the cake that makes the whole event that much sweeter.  She was the belle of the light-heavyweight ball....and in her newly adopted Atlanta hometown to boot!

   Chasing Seiple in the runner-up spot was Nevada's Rose Kasallis. If you appreciate beautiful muscle volume, pleasing shapes, and a touch of that intangible appeal that forces the eye to keep roving back to a physique, this is not a rose by any other name. Although not previously considered a threat to high placings at national events, this 5-5 Las Vegan was in her best-ever shape at this event and drew more than just a few looks.  She was right there in the first callout.  It was only a year ago she floundered in 12^th place as a heavyweight at the 2007 NPC USA.  Here she was seemingly walking on water showing striated glutes, stunning stage presence and all. Dropping down from the 145 ½ pounds she weighed last year, this was a Rose Kasallis that now possesses the look of a future pro. Kasallis is still relatively new and will bear watching - now more than ever.  She has come a long way from her first victory at the NPC Excalibur in 2006.  And it would seem she is closer than ever to reach the pro ranks, should she decide to explore that option.

   Placing third behind Rose Kasallis was Puerto Rican Yahaira Agosto.  Another in a line of excellent bodybuilders who often drift up from the Caribbean isles, Agosto has been an overall Puerto Rican champion, and she won two overall NPC Bev Francis Atlantic States titles in 2005 and 2007.  In 2006 it was Agosto who pushed Lisa Bickels to the NPC National middleweight title with her runner-up placing.  Her third-place finish here was no surprise, and with the move up to light-heavyweight she has taken on an even more impressive overall look.  She will be one to watch in 2009.

   Making an appearance in the first callout was Georgia stater Monique Hayes. From Norcross, she created a buzz with a pair of great legs, a wide and highly detailed back, and enough muscle to hang with those who were in top-five consideration. The result was a fourth-place finish and the knowledge she will have more to say about future placements sooner rather than later.  She was most definitely the surprise of the class, and a pleasant one at that.

  If there was a bigger surprise than the presence of Monique Hayes, it was the reality that Texan Karen Choat placed fifth.  At 5-3 and a chiseled 135, Choat is a muscular marvel.  And she has the placings at national level events to prove it. A third-place finisher at the 2007 NPC Nationals behind Kristy Hawkins and Britt Miller, a runner-up at the 2008 NPC USA, and a recent light-heavyweight class winner at the 2008 NPC Masters Nationals, it can only be assumed that her ultra-hard look went beyond the borders of judging acceptability.  That said, she was still brought out in the first prejudging callout and she was moved into the top five.

  A side note in this class was the absence of such notable light-heavyweights as Britt Miller, Angie Salvagno, Christine Sabo, and Star Blaylock.  What traffic jam for the top spots they could have caused. But like they say about mega-jackpots....."you gotta buy a ticket to win the prize".  

THE HEAVYWEIGHTS

The date was November 19, 2005, the place was the Hyatt Regency Ballroom in Atlanta, Georgia.  The event was the NPC Nationals and as the heavyweight class made its way off the stage that evening Sheila Bleck shook her head in disgust. She had just finished 11^th in her class and she was not amused.  She was busy mixing anger with frustration - it's what athletes do when they miss there desired goals.  For those who know Sheila Bleck, they know she's a woman who places hefty demands on herself. She drives herself relentlessly to attain her desired goals.  She's a blue-collar bodybuilder right out of the mold.  But you can't help but admire the tenacity.

   Well, all the above-mentioned came to fruition on this night, as she deeply believed it would, almost exactly three years to the day when she returned to the same stage and swept away not only the heavyweight class title, but the overall NPC National crown.

   With an almost eerie level of methodical progression, Sheila Bleck began her march to the pros in 1993 with her entry in the Bill Pearl Classic in her native Oregon.  Along the way she won the overall NPC Emerald Cup in 2000 among others.

    But she's also taken her lumps. In 2000 she placed 16^th among the heavyweights at the NPC USA.  And the 11^th at the Nationals in 2005 is not on her highlight reel either.

    In 2006, however, things changed.  She flexed with a purpose.  At the 2006 NPC Nationals in Miami she placed third. At the 2007 NPC USA she placed second. Focus on the 2008 NPC Nationals was understandably intense, and her goal was not to be denied.

   Once on stage at the Hyatt - for all the bodybuilding world to see - there a model of Sheila Bleck no one had ever seen before.  Her condition was impeccable - with legs that showed dramatic muscle separations throughout. Her back showed great detail, and of course her stage presence and attention to the overall "look" was spot on. Meanwhile for anyone looking towards the evening show, Sheila Bleck's posing ability - as a calling card - has always been one of her strengths as she has performed routine after routine during her amateur career that have long since been rated as pro quality.  It would take a monumental swing to see Sheila Bleck lose her grasp on that top trophy.  The swing never came. Bleck was a unanimous choice.

   In winning, Bleck becomes the first Floridian since Laura Combes in 1980 (before the NPC even existed) to win an overall National women's bodybuilding crown.

   Oh, how the pro ranks will benefit from her presence.

   With Sheila Bleck living in Tampa (on the west coast of Florida), the eventual runner-up, Nekole Hamrick calls Orlando (on the east coast) home.  A runner-up to Bev DiRenzo (also a Floridian) at last year's Nationals, Sunshine Staters have seemingly captured a strangle hold on the top placings in the heavyweight class.  Often compared favorably with Cory Everson in the style of her physique, Hamrick is a beautifully athletic 5-9, 160-pound bodybuilder who is very easy on the eye. Working as a registered nurse, Hamrick has track & field, triathlon, and bike racing in her sporting background which explains her ultra-athletic appeal. Like Bleck, she would add greatly to the desired look of the IFBB pro ranks.

   Meanwhile, third-placer Monique Jones raised eyebrows with what many found to be a   physique reminiscent to that of Lenda Murray.  And those compliments are warranted.  At 5-9, and a well-balanced 155 pounds, this Greenville, South Carolina, newcomer will make noise as early as 2009.  A former figure competitor (imagine that!), Jones has been competing since 2001 when she won the NPC Coastal USA in figure.  But by 2005, a 13^th-place figure finish at the NPC Junior USA was all she needed to realize she had grown out of doing quarter turns and needed to flex muscle.

   Now on the right track, Jones has won the 2008 NPC South Carolina overall title, and was second to Amber Defrancesco at the 2008 NPC Junior Nationals. With her third place here, she is perched to approach a top national level placing very soon., and she's still growing!

   Fourth went to Pennsylvania's Amber Defrancesco.  With her excellent upper body, tiny waist, and otherworldly legs (literally from hip to ankle), she makes for a beautiful overall physique. Another competitor who began in figure, she is now a blessing for the women's bodybuilding scene. At 5-6, and weighing in the 150 range, she will be a solid contender at any national level event.

   Rounding out the top five is former NPC California champion Jennifer Gutierrez. With a recent move to Chehalis, Washington, Gutierrez has made major improvements overall in her physique.  After a seventh-place finish at the Nationals in 2007, and a ninth-place finish at the 2006 NPC USA, this is Gutierrez's first break into the top-five at the national level.  She did it with nice quad separations, excellent back width and a set of delts to put the exclamation mark on her upper body.  Her fifth-place finish put her in front of several first rate competitors who missed making the top five.

 CONTEST PHOTO GALLERY