NPC Nationals 1998
by -jabber
Middleweights...


In the middleweights, the -jabber was on a roll.  I nailed the top 5 to a
tee (and even surprised myself a bit :-) ).  In 5th place was a favorite
who has a large following indeed, Rene  O'Neill, who I really thought
would've been a heavyweight.  She came in in superb condition (better than
I'd ever seen her before), but the judges seemed to be like the -jabber in
placing aesthetics and symmetry ahead of conditioning by a wee bit.  In 4th
place was Texan Rae Mokhtari, who I had the pleasure of sitting next to her
father at a Texas contest a couple months ago (small world).  Rae (like the
last time I saw her) was in incredible shape and condition and probably
could've come in 2nd if not for a symmetry deficiency in that she's
extremely short-waisted.  It looks good from the back producing unreal lat
width, but is noticeable in a detrimental sense from the front. In 3rd
place was a very young looking Michelle Ivers.  And I know she's been
around for years.  Although I've seen her more massive and less massive
before, her symmetry seemed a notch better than at previous contests.  In
2nd place was an extremely aesthetic Velma Caez.  Of note, she had one of
those chains hanging from her belly-button piercing.  I slyly said to
Hooligan, "I'd like to yank her chain" - ha!  She could've easily won her
class had it not been for a woman who's taken on the title that the great
Juliette Bergmann vacated, the Queen of Symmetry: Brenda Raganot. 
Immediately, I said, I don't care WHO'S in the heavyweight class, Brenda's
gonna stomp all over everyone.  Brenda had it all, incredibly sexy Oriental
looks, gorgeous tan, the best symmetry at the show by far, plenty of mass
to keep the mass fans (like myself) happy for hours :-), and a good amount
of definition when she flexed.  I turned to Hooligan just 'trying' to find
a fault with this vision of perfection.  I said, if I was going to fault
her?  Her biceps aren't as peaked as many fbb's.  Mind you, they're
beautifully shaped and massive for a middleweight, but Annie Rivieccio, for
example, runs rings around Ms. Raganot when it comes to peak.  The -jabber
was happy as he just 'knew' his girl would get the overall too...

Of note outside of the top five was a huge middleweight I'd never heard of
before, Adela Barboso.  I always am curious when a big woman is spotted
previously unbenounced to the -jabber.  And I would be lax to not mention
the incredibly popular Becky Rampey finishing 6th.  Her hair was short and
with blonde streaks.  Can't say I like that look on her better, but if it
wasn't for the queen of symmetry, Ms. Raganot, Becky would've gotten that
title.  And seeing both Becky and Brenda hanging out together walking
around, talking with their delightful accents, oh that's a vision that's
hard to get out of my mind!