The inside scope of the 2010 NPA Virginia State Bodybuilding & Fitness/Figure Championships :   April 17, 2010 the NPA opened its season
with the Mr. /Ms. Virginia Bodybuilding & Fitness/Figure Championships. This contest in its 11^th year was held at Virginia State University’s Virginia Hall in the Anderson – Turner auditorium for a fifth consecutive year.  It was a good show and a very successful one.  Twenty five
great conditioned athletes entertained their fans, friends and families with approximately (400) in the audience for prejudging and finals
which made for a very good day!   

The teenage division opened the show with sensation Jerry Maitland III from Jetersville, Virginia who is only 16 years old but has all the tools of becoming the best NPA teenage athlete of all times.  This young fellow was first seen by the NPA when he was a very young 13 years old and made a serious statement then. He easily rolled over newcomer Carlos (CJ) Taylor for the title of Mr. Teenage Virginia. This is his second win
as he was crowned Mr. Teen Virginia in 2009 as well.    In the men lightweight novice   these are men under 175  pound bodyweight; 5^th place
was Carlos (CJ)Taylor, Prince George, VA, followed by 4^th place finisher, Wes Desbrow, Colonial Hts., 3^rd place was Jeffery Adams, Mechanicsville, VA followed by 2^nd place winner Donovan Pepley, Hampton VA and your winner was young Jerry Maitland III as he clearly
won this class with little effort.  Jerry was in great shape and he was ready.  In the heavyweight class Winston – Salem’s North Carolina Attorney Clark Fischer was the man as he clearly beat 2^nd place finisher William Carroll who is a soldier stationed at Ft. Lee. Virginia.  When Maitland III and Fischer went against each other for the Overall Novice title, Young Maitland III got the nod unanimously over Fischer who
was in good shape but out gunned by a better athlete.  Maitland III is the truth and will, if he desires be in the running for amateur athlete of the year. He needs to win another NPA show this year. He gives his father Jerry Maitland Jr. and God all the credit.   

The men masters started with the 50+ division, newcomer Wes Desbrow, a truck and race car driver from Colonial Heights who started this show at 205 and weighed in at 172 placed 4^th in a very tough 50+ masters division.  3^rd place was claimed by crossover Clark Fischer with 2^nd place going to Roger Godsey, Concord Virginia. Your winner was Miles Baker, West Point, Virginia who was in great condition and has excellent conditioning.  There were two outstanding athletes in the (35-39) division this year. Second place was taken by Baltimore’s own Sherman Newton who was a little off. The winner of the class belonged to 1^st place William Edwards.  When Edwards and Baker met you could see that conditioning was in both of these two men favor. However, Edwards who looked by far his best look today didn’t take any prisoners and he
was 13 pounds heavier than Baker.

After the women in the audience got a chance to enjoy the traditional (women admiring men physiques) the guys would now enjoy 9 beautiful dolls that were truly great representatives of the sport of figure.  This year a master’s 40+ division was offered and there were two. 2^nd
place was claimed by Melissa Mason, Salem Virginia and the winner also from Salem Virginia was Kim Conner.  In the Masters (35-39) division there were three. 3^rd place was claimed by the lovely Chandra Wells, Roanoke Virginia, 2^nd place went to Whitney Ray, Roanoke, Virginia
and your winner was the very beautiful Nicole Pardon, also from Roanoke. With the exception of one judge Nicole earned all first place votes. I spoke to the one judge and he felt that Nicole resembled a bodybuilder and could have represented that division very well.  When Nicole
and Kim went  at it again Nicole earned all but one first place vote to win the overall Ms. Masters Virginia Figure title 2010.    

In the under 5’5” class:  Eight (8) of the (9) landed in this category. Only the top five (5) would earn awards even though, they all were winners.  8^th place went to Lakia Albright, Chesapeake Virginia. Lakia in the military and  just returning from Haiti didn’t get enough prep time.  More discipline in the diet will need to be the focus. 7^th place went to Amy Askew, Roanoke Virginia, 6^th place went to Crystal Monroe,
Hampton Virginia.  Crystal did very well in Round one (1) two piece, however Round (2) she was a little off. I suspect more shows and the experience will get her into the top five (5).  5^th place was earned by Whitney Ray who was a crossover from the masters (35-39) division.  4^th place went to Chandra Wells another crossover from the masters (35-39). 3^rd place was claimed by Vachon Bullock who was tied for second at the end of the first round.  2^nd place by virtue of a tie breaker going into round 2 went to Kim Conner who also was a crossover from the masters 40+. Your winner again belonged to the lovely Nicole Pardon.

In the women tall 5’ 5” (+) there was only one. And for what it may seem or matter it didn’t to winner and crossover from the masters
Melissa Mason. Melissa did what she needed to do to be the winner of the class, to include be taller than 5’5” tall.  However, when all was
said and done, Nicole and Melissa met for the Overall figure title.  Pardon was a unanimous winner over Mason. They both did a very fine job
and entertained the audience with grace and elegance.

The bodybuilding Masters’ women would be next.  Even though 2 divisions were offered in the women master’s division, only one division
and three athletes represented the 40+ division.  In 3^rd place Rose Marie Dexter, Ashland Virginia claimed the prize, 2^nd place went to Kim Thumel. This decision was very close only a one point difference between 2^nd and 1^st.  The judges were truly split on this decision.  This could have gone either way.  However 1^st place and because there were only three, the champion and  overall masters winner went to Shel
Hankley, Powhatan, Virginia who thank NPA pro athlete Teresa Davis for all the help in helping her prepare. In the women open division
three classes were offered. In the women lightweight class (under 115 lbs) crossover Rose Marie Dexter won the class uncontested.  In the women middleweight class (115 to under 130 lbs) 2^nd place went to Kim Thumel again by one point as should have been and the winner was Shel Hankley.  Hankley also won female best poser and the 2010 Ms. Virginia title.

The men open lightweight class started with 5^th place finisher and crossover Roger Godsey, 4^th place was earned by crossover Jeffery
Adams, 3^rd place went to crossover Donovan Pepley, 2^nd place and best poser award went to Oscar Fajardo, Chesapeake Virginia. The champion and winner of the class belonged to 16 year old Jerry Maitland III who earned a perfect score.  In the men middleweight class, 3^rd place went to crossover Wes Desbrow, 2nd place went to Greg Smith, Arlington Virginia  and the winner of the class was crossover  Miles Baker
who also had a perfect score.  In the light heavyweight  class there were two.  2^nd place went to crossover Sherman Newton who did get
one first place vote and the winner was William (Bill) Edwards who but all of one vote clearly won the class.  When the three athletes met to represent their classes who were Maitland III, Baker and Edwards, Edwards was crowned the 11t^h Mr. NPA Virginia. He was in great
conditioned and presented the most muscle of any athlete in the show.    

The audience of about 400 + spectators enjoyed the show. The NPA would like to take the time to thank all the athletes, fans, families and friends that made the show possible especially Stevie Long and all the fans from Roanoke and Salem,Virginia area to include Matthew Liller
  the 2009 Mr. Virginia, Big Mike and special surprise guest Cristin Kiburz from New Mexico . The officials lead by Head Judge JW Hicks, Randy “Big Arms” Batts, Valerie Foster, Rodney Barnes, Arlessa Gray, Stephan Kitchen, Toni Johnson, Kerry Barnard, Daniel Q. Wright,  Hugh Hannah,
Yourdonus James, Michael Stewart, Rochelle Silas, Minnie Nolan, Christy Simmons, Pamela Christian, Chris Coleman, Daniel Moore Robert Thomas test judges, Ron Smock-McCarthy, LaDonna Montgomery, Karen Romer and anybody else we failed to mention.  Again thank you
all the show could not of been a success without you.  Until next year 2011 the NPA signs off./NPA President, Harry E. Silas