The NPC Team Universe was held at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center in New York City on August 9-10. This prestigious competition is widely regarded as the most competitive drug-tested bodybuilding competition in the country. The class winners from this event make up the team that will represent the United States at the annual IFBB World Championships (also known as the Mr. Universe).

This year's competition was somewhat unique for a couple of reasons. The first was a new ruling in which the previous class winners of the Team Universe were not allowed to compete again in the contest. There had been some complaints by several individuals in the bodybuilding media that the same bodybuilders were always winning their weight classes thus shutting out the prospect of any new bodybuilders having the chance to represent the U.S. at the World Championships. Last year, for example, Marvin Ward from the bantamweights, Derik Farnsworth from the lightweights and Tito Raymond from the middleweights all won their respective classes for the third time in a row. Light heavyweight and overall winner Greg Rando and heavyweight winner Jeff Willet were each on their second win. With the same bodybuilders winning all the time, the critics complained, new bodybuilders were being discouraged from entering since they reasoned they had no shot at first place.

For 2002, however, the NPC had decided to not allow any previous class winner from competing in this year's Team Universe. If a previous class winner wanted to come back to the Team Universe and pose off against this year's new winner, he would be allowed to do that. The winner of that special pose-off would then be the one who would be sent to the World Championships as part of the U.S. team. This would ensure that the best representative of the U.S. would be going to the Universe.

As the Team Universe competition approached, the NPC made another ruling. The United States would not be sending a team to represent the country at this year's World Championships. Since the IFBB World Championships are going to be held in Egypt this year, the NPC wisely decided not to send an American team to the Universe. With the current political climate in the Middle East, better to play it safe than sorry.

After these two new developments came to light, many of the top bodybuilders who routinely enter the Team Universe decided to skip the contest this year. Previous TU class winners such as Derik Farnsworth, Tito Raymond, Jeff Willet and Skip LaCour made the decision to enter the NPC USA Championships in Las Vegas instead.

The results from the USA Championships in Las Vegas were interesting in regard to the former Team Universe champions. Farnsworth placed a respectable third place in the lightweight class, Tito dropped to a disappointing fifth in the middleweight class after last year's runner-up position, Jeff Willet dropped to the light heavyweight division and took 15th in that class and Skip LaCour placed 11th in the heavys. I'm sure some of these natural bodybuilders were regretting the new ruling by the NPC that prevented them from competing in the Team Universe. Competing against the best bodybuilders in the country who are obviously not drug-free is not an easy road.

The top 5 in the Bantamweight class

The top 5 in the Lightweight class

The top 5 in the Middleweight class receive their trophies

As for this year's Team Universe competition, the stage was set for a group of new winners to shine under the spotlight. The first division up was the bantamweight class in which perennial favorite and genetic wonder, Marvin Ward, was sitting the year out. That left the class wide open for veteran competitor Ronald Nurse, Sr. to take first place. After placing third in this year's NPC USA, Nurse continued his successful year by winning his class at the Team Universe. Nurse displayed more thickness than the other competitors in his class and his legs were rock hard. Paul Hamilton took second in the bantams and last year's USA bantamweight winner Robert Lufty was third.

Owen McCurty displays his ripped physique in winning the lightweight class

With Derik Farnsworth absent, the lightweight class was wide open for a new winner. That winner came all the way from Hawaii in the form of Owen McCurty. McCurty displayed his thickness and rock hard muscularity to easily win a competitive class. McCurty looked like he would be in contention for the overall title. Julio Navarro was also pretty thick and hard in the runner-up position. Anthony Miller in third place had some big quads but he needs more size in the upper body to balance out those impressive wheels.

In the newly created welterweight class (154-165 pounds), Paul O'Hearn looked like he would take an early lead with his impressive V-shape and hard condition. However, with scores ranging from first to sixth, O'Hearn ended up in the runner-up position, perhaps looking a little tall for this class. Reuben Dwyer had the right combination of thickness and hardness to come out on top in the welterweights. Dan Johnson was third. Team Universe veteran Pete Ciccone placed a disappointing fifth.

Angelo Bezzole wins the Middleweight class	Joe Silzer looked very impressive in taking the runner up position in the Middleweights

I was very interested in the middleweight class since my training partner, Joe Silzer, was competing. Joe was hoping to take this class, especially in the absence of 3 time winner Tito Raymond. Unfortunately, Joe was edged into second place by newcomer Angelo Bezzole who was a little harder and had better color. Joe had the most muscle in his class with some pretty incredible quads, arms and delts. The judges were very impressed with his potential so next year should be a different story, no matter who shows up! Veteran competitor Bill Moschelle was also impressive in third place with his polished physique.

    

The light heavyweight class top 5

The biggest class of the night was in the light-heavyweight class with 18 competitors. It also had the most improved competitor in the form of Jean Claude Desardouin. I had never heard of Jean Claude before but I was very impressed with his thick, rock hard physique. In looking back over previous Team Universe competitions, I was shocked to see that Jean Claude only placed 10th last year and was dead last (18th) in 1998. Those were tears of joy that were streaming down his face as he finally took the first place award. He is to be lauded for his persistence and improvement!

Former WNBF competitor Tim Martin looked very impressive in second place. Tim looked pretty tall and wide for a light heavyweight competitor. He could have been a little bit harder but he definitely has a great frame. Veteran competitor Clyde Norris repeated his third place from last year.

In the heavyweight class, Skip LaCour was the only TU veteran returning to the competition. After taking 11th place in the heavyweights at the NPC USA two weeks earlier (on his 40th birthday!), Skip decided to enter this year's Team Universe after he found out that the new ruling preventing former class winners from competing was no longer in effect. Skip also decided to drop about 6 pounds (from 222 to 216) to be ultra-cut for this contest. This left him about 16 pounds lighter than last year when he weighed in at 232 pounds while taking second to eventual heavyweight winner Jeff Willet.

Skip LaCour showed incredible muscularity in winning the Heavy weight class

With striated glutes, deeply separated hamstrings and striated spinal erectors and lower lats, Skip was more refined than ever before. However, when he turned to the side and cocked his leg for a side tricep pose, he revealed muscularity never seen before. The muscle thickness in his quadricep from the side was FREAKY! It literally looked like someone had peeled off the outer layer of skin to reveal every muscle fiber and striation in the leg and glutes. I don't remember even an IFBB pro bodybuilder displaying such incredible muscularity!

Although Skip is somewhat blocky and is not the most aesthetic physique in bodybuilding, on this day he achieved total peak condition. He accomplished the ultimate goal for a competitive bodybuilder, looking the best that your individual physique could ever look. Skip looked good in positions that he had shown some weakness in the past such as standing relaxed from the front, front double biceps and front lat spread.

The top five in the Heavyweight class

Skip LaCour receives the overall trophy from NPC President Jim Manion and promoter Steve Weinberger

No one else in the heavyweight class could offer much of a challenge to Skip on this day. Richard Brian Holms was huge in second place but he needs more calves to match his big thighs and he could have been harder. Randall Spaulding from Illinois looked pretty big in third place.

For the overall posedown, it was Skip LaCour all the way. I watched closely to see if lightweight winner Owen McCurty or lightheavyweight winner Jean Claude Desardouin could give him some trouble but it was not to be. LaCour was much bigger than the other class winners and he certainly wasn't lacking in hardness to be beaten in that area so it was a pretty easy decision to arrive at - Skip LaCour, Overall winner of the 2002 Team Universe competition.

Check out the freaky refinement in LaCour's thighs!

LaCour was surprisingly unemotional as he accepted the overall trophy from NPC Chairman Jim Manion and Team Universe promoter Steve Weinberger. Having competed in every Team Universe from 1994 to the present, this was LaCour's second overall win (the first bodybuilder to accomplish two overall victories at this event) and his fourth time winning his weight division. It's too bad that the USA is not sending an American team to the World Championships. With the superior conditioning of LaCour and the incredible rock-hard thickness of lightweight winner Owen McCurty, Team USA may just have taken home a couple gold medals this year.

In other competitions held that evening, Toni Norman won the overall in the women's bodybuilding competition. Toni was rock hard and extremely confident onstage which helped her win a close decision over heavyweight winner Carolyn Bryant and lightweight winner Tracie "TNT" Tucker. Bryant, in particular, was very well developed and looked like a pro in waiting but Norman edged her out this time due to her harder physique.

In the fitness division, the audience at the Tribeca theater was treated to some great fitness routines as three women (the winners of each height class) were aiming to score their pro cards. Tall class winner Adria Montgomery-Klein won the overall over short class winner Tracy Traskos and medium class winner Peggy Sue Crawford.

Although I'm not an expert in the fitness competitions, the competitor with the most impressive routine to my eyes was medium height class third place winner Lisa Uzzle. She brings enough energy and charisma to her routine to get the crowd cheering and her unfortunate third place finish was not a popular decision with the New York crowd.

Gunter Schlierkamp awards Adria Montgomery-Klein the overall Fitness award

However, Adria Montgomery-Klein was also very impressive in winning the overall and her attractive package should do her well in the pros. The German Giant, IFBB pro Gunter Schlierkamp, looked absolutely enormous in handing out the overall trophy to Montgomery-Klein. Gunter appeared to be well over 300 pounds as he filled the stage with his enormous physique. The genial giant has received a special invite to this year's Olympia but he better get going on his diet if he's going to achieve contest condition in 10 weeks. I wouldn't call him fat but he didn't look ready to take on Ronnie Coleman just yet.

Another IFBB pro who was there to hand out trophies was Flex Wheeler. Flex definitely looked like he was back and ready for action as he calmly walked around the hotel all weekend. His arms looked to be about 24" and, judging by his face, he was not fat. It will be great to see Flex back in action on the Olympia stage this year in Vegas. He's got way too much potential to even consider retiring yet. Let's hope that Flex gets in prime time shape again and gives Ronnie all he can handle this year.

In the figure division, the beautiful Kristy Robbins from South Carolina was the medium height class and overall winner. In only it's second year in the NPC, the National Figure Championships attracted 80 competitors compared to only 50 last year. The figure division is proving to be enormously popular and the IFBB will be starting a pro division for the ladies in 2003.

The comparisons for the overall Figure title

Mari Kudla won the short class division with a perfect score over a huge class of 35 other women. Mari was not in any way tight or ripped but she definitely had a figure and she also carried an air of confidence about her that made her look like a sure winner.

The lovely Devana Medina hands out the trophies in the Figure Division

Kristy Robbins seemed to have the look that the judges were looking for as she also scored a unanimous decision over 27 other competitors in the medium height class. With just the right degree of hardness to her physique, Kristy projected her beauty and charm to the audience as last year's winner, Devana Medina, handed out the trophies clad in a red skintight Met-Rx outfit that had to be seen to be fully appreciated. In the interest of fair reporting, I attempted to take photos of Devana's outfit from as many angles possible to accurately showcase the "classic" figure physique.

Devana Medina and Jim Manion award Kristy Robbins the overall title of National Figure Champion

In the tall class, Louisa Wigand took first place although her scores were not as decisive as the other two class winners. In fact, fourth place finisher Rhonda Yancey took first place in the one piece swimsuit round but placed much lower in the 2 piece swimsuit round.

In the overall, I thought it was a toss-up between Mari and Kristy. Mari carried herself with complete confidence but Kristy had the perfect combination of hardness and shape to win the 2nd Annual National Figure Championships. Congratulations Kristy and I look forward to next year's show which may reach triple digits in the number of competitors which should be a nightmare (or a dream, depending on your point of view) for the judges.