Results: The 2006 NPA Natural USA
Bodybuilding & Fitness/Figure Championships
12 August 2006
Calypso Room, Surfside Inn
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
Sponsor: Si-Flex Physique Club Inc.
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Masters (50-59): JW Hicks, Richmond, VA
Masters (40-49): Kent Bierly, Brick, NJ
Overall Masters USA Winner: Kent Bierly
Figure: (5’2” to Under 5’5”): Mary Anna George,PrinceGeorge,VA
Figure: (5’5” +): Tracy Gauldin, Blairs, VA
Overall Figure Champion: Mary Anna George
Female Middleweight Champion: Toni Johnson, Dinwiddie, VA
Overall Female Champion: Toni Johnson
Best Female Poser: Toni Johnson Couples Overall Champions: Toni Johnson & J.W. Hicks
Male Lightweight Champion: JW Hicks, Richmond, VA
Male Middleweight Champion: Kent Bierly, Brick, NJ
Male Lt. Heavyweight Champion: Vincent Deciucis, Chesterfield, VA
Male Heavyweight Champion: Michael Uzar, Norwalk, CT
Overall Male Champion: Kent Bierly
Best Male Poser: Michael Uzar
Congratulations go out to these 2006 Pro Qualified Champions! Other Participants were: Kennis Sigmon, Davis Ainsley, Ben Randazzo, Randy Glass, Bruce Keefer, Allen Gatewood, James Lattea, Jody Lee, Jason Eng, Glen Pacyna, Marcus Jones, TD Miller, and Carrie Moura.
This years NPA Natural USA’s may not be the best we’ve ever seen. However, it was good as any USA the NPA has ever hosted. The venue was at the ocean front of the Surfside Inn on Virginia Beach. August is peak season and people were up and down Atlantic Avenue as far as one could see. The show of twenty one (21) registered athletes wasn’t large but very entertaining. Promoting a one session (live – judged) event, twenty one athletes easily gets the job done. Also keep in mind that the fans, families and friends come to support their favorite. They even pay to see their own spouses perform, what support. Once they have yelled and screamed for their champion they lose a little steam. Sitting and watching a show with 100+ athletes may good for the promoter however it’s not very entertaining for the audience, too long. The judges and show officials are also exhausted after the effort. The NPA has four Pro Qualifiers and they all offer overall trophies as of today, only the NPC Nationals reward their winners with. Keep in mind that once you win the NPC Nationals you are Pro Qualified to compete in the IFBB. This is the Utopia in our sport. However if you are not an animated cartoon character (today standards) 5’ 11”, 300 lbs forget about it. It’s like sending a row boat out to rescue the Titanic.
The show opened with the National Anthem followed by the (50-59) masters division. The competition was very good. There were 4 athletes that made the division. In 4th place Navy Captain Kennis Sigmon earn the honor, 3rd place went to Davis Ainsley, and 2nd place went to Ben Randazzo who only missed it by one point to the champion JW Hicks. Randazzo has a beautiful physique and if he tightens up his abdominal muscles he’ll be tough for any athlete in his age division to beat. JW Hicks conditioning is his strongest asset. Since he’s bought his weight down from 175 to a competition weight of 148 he’s been very tough to beat. His legs are his strength and they are as good as any athlete in the Natural world.
The figure beauties round one went on next. After the (40-49) division men class, Carrie Moura ended up placing second to Mary Anna George in the medium class. Tracy Gauldin won the tall class uncontested. Mary Anna would meet Tracy in the overall and defeat her convincingly.
In the (40-49) division the truth was told. This may have been one of the best the NPA officials have seen. There were six of them. Four of them were the truth in any Natural organization. Two of them are already Pros in other organizations. In 6th place, James Lattea earned the position. Fifth place went to Bruce Keefer. Fourth place went to Allen Gatewood, who is a former NPA Natural USA lightweight class winner. Third place went to a tough and talented Michael Uzar. Mike has the physique and talent to be an overall winner in any organization. Second place went to last years’ NPAs Masters Universe, Randy Glass. Glass has a strong physique and is a very good looking athlete as well. In spite of these two good looking athletes, Kent Bierly from Brick, New Jersey made the seven panel NPA Judges decision real easy. He got perfect scores all the way through. Let me say if you haven’t seen this guy he is for real. He is a serious threat to the NPA Pro (under 40 and over 40 divisions). All beware, this guy is the truth.
There weren’t any master women sorry to report! However the opportunity was there and will be there again. It isn’t often that opportunity knock, all I can say, “Ladies get up off that thing and you got to do better (James Brown, 1970’s).” In the women open there was only one athlete and her name was Toni Johnson from Dinwiddie, Virginia. Toni earned her Pro eligibility last year by winning the lightweight class. Toni was not in her best condition as she competed in this show at 119 lbs, up from 112 in the Ms. North Carolina performance. It didn’t hurt her this time. However, if she competes as a Pro athlete against the likes of Eleanor McBride, Dawn Muth, LaToynia Harvey or Linda Carpenter, she’ll have to be at a bodyweight of (105-108) to make a serious run at these talented Natural athletes.
In the couples JW Hicks and Toni Johnson won uncontested. They also entertained the crowd and did an acceptable job.
Most of the master athletes crossed over. In the lightweight class there were eight (8) competitors. Eighth place was awarded to Bruce Keefer, who really isn’t quite ready for this level of competition but deserves an E for effort. Seventh place went to Jason Eng whose conditioning was off and needs to focus on state level novice competitions at this time. Jody Lee placed sixth and looked as well as a 5’11”, 131lbs could look against a class that was over his head. Allen Gatewood earned fifth place and was a little disappointed. Teenage sensation Glen Pacyna of Brick, New Jersey earned the fourth place award by one point over Allen. Third place belonged to Davis Ainsley. Again by one point second place went to Ben Randazzo, leaving crossover JW Hicks with the top lightweight spot.
In the middleweight class Kennis Sigmon earned 4th place. From Columbia, South Carolina, Marcus Jones earned 3rd place with 2nd place going to Randy Glass. Kent Bierly won the middleweight class with a perfect score, once again. Vinny Deciucis from Richmond, Virginia was the lone light heavyweight competitor. By the time the men heavyweight rolled around three athletes were left. In 3rd place James Lattea would get the honors. In 2nd place from Charlotte, North Carolina, TD Miller took the honors and the winner was Michael Uzar from Norwalk, Connecticut.
At the finale, it would be Bierly, unanimous as the overall winner, Uzar 2nd and best poser, Hicks third and Deciucis fourth. Like to thank the judges; Head Judge, Randy “Big Arms” Batts, Stephan Kitchen, Narva Daniels, Daniel Moore, Sherrie Broome’, Arlessa Gray, and Valerie Foster for a mean score of 88% on the panel. Other officials were YeSok and Rochelle Silas who did a find job in their roles, Vernell Silas who was the chief expediter, Nikita Silas who did the lightning and sound, Mike Stewart, Kim Johnson statistician and secretary, Gary Johnson, Robert Thomas official NPA photography, Prince Edwards – on the spot video work, Nelson and Mrs. Harris for concession and the fans, families and friends of the athletes. The Pro show is the big dance for a few of these individuals. Until next year when we plan to host this event at the same site on 18 August 2007 stay safe./Harry E. Silas
