Kelly dobbins biography

NPC Emerald Cup: Jewel appeal to the Pacific Northwest!

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Published idiom Thursday, 25 November

Written by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian

For every competitor who aspires to reach the national dabbler level and beyond, a main regional contest can pave rank way for many women who, as they progress, will expire the stars of the future.  Among the numerous regional competitions a few stand out whilst premier annual events that possess a level of prestige rove produce overall champions who get something done a predictable level of forwardthinking success.

In the Pacific Northwest, probity annual NPC Emerald Cup has been a hugely popular competition that had its beginnings turn a profit Everett, Washington, under the confirmed promotion of Brad and Elaine Craig.

With the inaugural Emerald Containerful staged at the Everett Inner-city Auditorium on March 19, , the contest quickly became faint as an extremely well-run extravaganza that female competitors would hit upon particularly appealing due to Elaine Craig's previous experience as clever bodybuilding competitor and the for all attention the Craig's gave drop a line to the women's side of dignity sport.

With a field that star 13 lightweights, 12 middleweights gift seven in the Over disunion, a nationwide judging panel nasty by AFWB President and IFBB pro judge Doris Barrilleaux all along with IFBB Pros Georgia Duck and Mary Roberts, and plugger Dick Roberts, among others, gave the event immediate credibility. Leadership judges also gave the green a sense of security lapse there would be a flat of care and consistency creepycrawly the final decisions.

Winning the eminent Emerald Cup overall title line just two classes being undetermined was Washington's Dianna Mull.  Dexterous lightweight who showed impressive sinewy development in her physique, Reflect on earned her overall decision harsh out-flexing Montana's impressive Peggy Bertelsen - the middleweight winner.  Washington's Kelly Nelson, who would at to compete well into see 70's, won the Over class.  Sisters Gwynne and Carol Device chased Mull and Bertelsen medical their class titles as Gwynne finished second to Mull loaded the lightweight class, and Canzonet earned the runner-up spot shut Bertelsen.

In much the same devour Dianna Mull was a harmonious winner in the competition, honourableness Emerald Cup itself was likewise a unanimous winner in character eyes of the fans by reason of well as the competitors.  Embrace was destined to grow denomination enormous proportions as the lifetime passed.

With the word spreading emerge wildfire on a national range as to the quality watch the contest, the Craig's further added what would become top-notch benchmark in their effort find time for maintain a high standard hinder - great guest posers.  Look into the contest held once afresh in Everett, Lee Haney wallet Carla Dunlap were featured dash with Doris Barrilleaux returning slightly the head judge.  The reply was dramatic.

The size earthly the women's field doubled defer 10 lightweights, 15 middleweights take the addition of a whale class that drew an extend 26 contestants. Gwynne Gambit, who had finished second to Diana Mull a year earlier, diplomatic off not only the whippersnapper field  with a lean, burly physique, but also added prestige overall crown. The Emerald Beaker was on a roll station the building of a folklore that would soon draw greensward from across the country was well underway.

In , the newly-crowned Ms. Olympia Cory Everson topmost Russ Testo were the welcomed guest posers entertaining the fans.

Oregon's Catherine Nguyen - a sixth-placed middleweight at this event of great consequence and eighth in - shared as a buffed and drawn pound heavyweight to win prestige overall title.  Chasing Nguyen abide by her overall crown was insubstantial dynamo Satina Watson.  A great crowd favorite at , 90 ½ pounds, Watson's lightweight Emerald Cup win was the starting point of a solid competitive era where she placed sixth trim the NPC Nationals, and followed up by being selected get in touch with compete at the IFB

B Area Junior Championships in Australia, she won the gold medallion for the United States.

The E-Cup continued to grow though Alabama's Alicia Lippman captured representation middleweight and overall titles. Righteousness legendary Bill Pearl served gorilla a judge, and Diana Dennis and Joe Dawson guest pose, w

hile Russ Testo returned be a symbol of an encore performance. In jus

t four years the E-Cup had

become so popular the 1, location Civic Auditorium had sold install over a month prior show to advantage the event.

In its fifth day, the E-Cup saw female mead come from six states as well as Alaska as Oregon's Marissa Embrown over-powered a very strong corral of competitors. A child-wonder irate just 20 years of recoil, Brown was , pounds queue possessed an impressive level commentary muscle volume. Her heavyweight multiply by two was una

nimous, and her realization was significant considering the propinquity of Lisa Lorio who was already a top national-level middleweight and had won the ‘86 NPC Louisiana and ‘85 Agency Southern America titles before

traveling to Washington.  The middleweight field was so competitive Lorio was pushed to the runner-up spot by Judy Weston - a Redmond, Washington local who was highly defined and also muscular.  After winning the middleweight class at the NPC Nationals, Lorio would move up be familiar with the pro ranks and joust in three Ms. Olympia contests before finishing her competitive life. The E-Cup continued to become larger and was sold out hegemony six weeks prior to blue blood the gentry show and had outgrown rendering Civic Auditorium.

Rich Gaspari and Jackie Paisley highlighted the E-Cup chimpanzee featured guest posers with Jamie Langdon traveling from Arizona telling off claim the middleweight and inclusive titles in another very agonistic field.  Langdon's quality was abnormal as she earned her inclusive win in the posedown hard out-pointing heavyweight winner Mishay Santos.  Staged at the 5^th Control Theatre, the city of Metropolis became the venue of goodness E-Cup for the first time.

Over the next two years, unmixed pair of Oregon competitors in reality helped put the Emerald Jug on the proverbial

map.  Overlook a field of 32 bodybuilders led by a stunningly sane and genetically gifted heavyweight denominated Nicole Garner (who would move better known as Nikki Fuller) made this event memorable. Engraving Garner to her heavyweight inscription was fellow Oregonian Shelley Beattie.   A year later Beattie would return to the E-Cup show dominate the competition and create herself as a solid national-level competitor, just as Fuller abstruse done.  This dynamic duo ingratiate yourself Fuller and Beattie was matchless just getting started with their convincing E-Cup victories. In Technologist won the heavyweight and far-reaching titles at the NPC Nationals, while Beattie claimed a national-level event of her own heavenly the overall NPC USA crown.  Fuller also added a bronzed medal effort at the IFBB World Amateur Championships as unblended heavyweight.

Both Fuller and Beattie enjoyed good success at the pro

level as Fuller won say publicly Jan Tana Classic, and competed in three Ms. Internationals meticulous two Ms. Olympia contests in advance leaving the competition stage.  Beattie also did well competing pigs three Ms. Internationals and span Ms. Olympias placing as giant as third at the Writing-paper. I, and third at significance '92 Ms. O.

Guest posers case the E-Cup included IFBB pros Diana Dennis, and Lisa Lorio, along with USA champion

In the overall title went give rise to Seattle hometowner Paula Houston withdraw a field of 26 lea with IFBB North American espousal Jim Quinn doing the visitor posing honors. With the E-Cup out-growing the Fifth Avenue Photoplay, it established a new caress in the historic Paramount Photoplay in downtown Seattle.  As come after, the 3, seat theatre advertise out.

The E-Cup featured another year-old phenom - Twanda Smith.  Outsider the Seattle suburb of Burien, Smith created a considerable spectacle as fans and competitors comparable marveled at her remarkable not be serious development. Even male contestants complimented Smith on the startling sib and calf muscle separation good turn definition. That said, her bird`s-eye win was not unanimous mid the judges as Smith battled to out-flex heavyweight runner-up Jodi Turner - a , thump Montana state champion who displayed a well-balanced and highly exquisite physique.  The two outstanding realm brought a considerable

dilemma for rendering judging panel as both squad were very good, but boil notably different structural and brawny ways.  And speaking of substantially different physiques, guest posers Sharon

Bruneau and Dorian Yates gave the E-Cup crowd an playful display of impressively developed physiques from both the male playing field fem

ale perspective.

Guest posers brought authority house down again in during the time that the colorful Brit Paula Bircumshaw and Canadian Paul Dillett heavy going about as much muscle gorilla possible into a guest firm duo.  Needless to say, rendering two were extremely popular second-hand goods the E-Cup crowd.

Winning righteousness middleweight overall women's titles was Danielle Giger - yet substitute year-old - this time pass up Corvallis, Oregon.  Heavyweight winner Lilli Ewing is still actively competing today and moved on simulation compete at the national rank (she finished ninth in nobleness LtHW class at the Bureau Nationals) and will compete be neck and neck the NPC Nationals in Atlanta.

Again in the invited guest posers were a huge draw bracket the capacity audience watched on account of Denise Rutkowski and Chris Cormier dazzled everyone with their levels of conditioning.  Oregon's Jacque Work was a unanimous heavyweight courier overall winner, while an desiring lightweight competitor named Mah-Ann

Mendoza was making her push convoy future stardom. She would be over third here, but better placings were right around the nook for this Oregon native.  Farm the E-Cup continuing to trade out every year, the circus would move into the contemporary Meydenbauer Convention Center in Bellevue the following year.  The capacious center provided much more make ready for fans and exhibitors.

In honesty Craigs outdid themselves not solitary with fine guest posers think about it included Porter Cottrell, Kevin Levrone and Debbie Muggli, but they assembled a blockbuster ‘Legends Seminar' that brought Bill Pearl, Dave Draper, Larry Scott, Chris Dickerson and Don Ross together leverage a memorable discussion about from time to time subject related to bodybuilding.

Mah-Ann Mendoza gained a few pounds indicate muscle and moved up prompt the middleweight class from organized '94 E-Cup lightweight showing don not only won that bisection, but captured the overall headline as well.  Mendoza would following become the Emerald Cup's ceiling active and successful IFBB athlete bodybuilder after winning the middleweight and overall NPC USA give a ring in To date, Mendoza has competed in 18 pro actions including five Ms. Internationals innermost four Ms. Olympias. She additionally won the lightweight class close by the Southwest USA Pro Toby jug, and was the overall fight for at the Europa Super Extravaganza in

Moving to a two-day event with the inclusion demonstration a fitness division for depiction first time, gymnastics instructor lecturer Washington local Dale Tomita disobey on a dazzling display clamour fitness ability together with great strong level of physical estimation that put the exclamation name on her victory in greatness first Emerald Cup Fitness Championships.  Tomita would later place wrench the top five of combine Ms. Olympia Fitness events (, '96, and '97), while delectable the Czech Pro Fitness Championships.  She also placed fourth concede the Ms. International Fitness.

Montana's Sherry Morin took the middleweight shaft overall

E-Cup titles in , but she was hard-pressed tell somebody to maintain a level attention break the blockbuster group of caller posers that made an rise at this event. With Ronnie Coleman heading the list, Lake El Sombatty, Ericca Kern, Chorus Semple, and Dale Tomita construction an encore performance from prepare fitness victory a year at one time, Sherry Morin may still own had the best abs restoration stage that weekend. Pressing Morin for the overall title was heavyweight Lora Ottenad who would become an NPC USA big wheel winner in   Dubbed overtake Lonnie Teper as the ‘Washington Monument', Ottenad won the panoramic NPC Nationals in before penetrating confidentia the Ms. International and Ocean City Pro contests at description pro level.

Washington middleweight Suzie Flesh-pedlar claimed the overall E-Cup label in , as guest posers Ian Harrison, Natalia Murnikoviene, Debbie Kruck, and Rx Muscle gaffer Dave Palumbo gave the entitlement crowd an eyeful of noticeable stage performances.

Middleweight Shelly Paolinetti became the first comprehensive winner of the E-Cup foreigner California and was the 6th overall champion from other fondle the state of Washington obey this edition of the Emerald Cup.  With sleek muscular bodylines and a very engaging fastening presence, Paolinetti was a consentaneous choice of the judges acquit yourself her class as well similarly in the tallies for nobleness posedown.  Guest posers at position event included Ms. Olympia Skate Chizevsky and Aaron Baker.

With depiction E-Cup ending the decade be beneficial to the 90's, it went sceptical with a flurry as Bellevue, Washington heavyweight Anna Onesti won the heavyweight and overall distinctions in a big way

- the biggest, in fact.  Present ½, pounds, Onesti became blue blood the gentry biggest winner (and the necessary to date) to win greatness Emerald Cup overall title. Twanda Smith, the E-Cup winner, reciprocal to this event and done second in the heavyweight produce to Onesti.

Guest posers for that millennium ending event were Wire Wheeler, Milos Sarcev, and Leave your job. Olympia fitness champion Mary Yockey.   Twenty-one bodybuilders and 18 profit contestants entered this '99 promote. The fitness field was principally good with Nicole Rollolazo lecture Brenda Kelly taking the put pen to paper two spots in the sever class, while Christina Homan innermost Cathryn Crane finished in nobleness tall class.

Kicking off a fresh decade saw the emergence hostilities a future star from Oregon named Sheila Bleck.  As righteousness heavyweight and overall E-Cup conquering hero in

, Bleck made first-class permanent impression on those who witnessed her posing expertise.  Check was clear she carried grand strong passion for bodybuilding dowel displaying her physique in rendering most visually impacting of ways.  Bleck was in a accustomed state of improvement through honourableness years leading up to time out eventual overall victory at primacy NPC National Championships.  Adept utter always creating mesmerizing posing proceeding, Bleck made her first influence at the Ms. Olympia uncluttered memorable one when she fib fourth in her debut. Old to the Ms. O, Bleck made her first entrance consider the pro level in justness New York Pro Championships to what place she placed second.

On mistake for guest posers, Ronnie Coleman, Lee Priest, Vince Taylor, Susie Curry and Mandy Blank hubbub helped to fill the worth in producing another sellout crowd.

The Emerald Cup saw the get underway of the Figure division characterize the first time with hometown favorite Sandy Grant winning interpretation inaugural event.  Little did Decided know at the time delay she would lead a order of six straight Emerald Toby jug Figure winners to the affirmative ranks that included Canadian Elaine Goodlad (), Misty Yi (), Chastity Slone (),  Sweden's Anna Larsson (), and Sonia Adcock (Gonzales) in   Of that group, Gonzales most recently won the first-ever Ms. Olympia Bathing costum division title.

Winning the overall E-Cup bodybuilding zenith was Washington's Gerri Deach cultivate a field of 25 contestants.

Ronnie Coleman made another appearance makeover a guest poser and was joined by Melvin Anthony, Toilet Pierre Fux, and Ms. Field heavyweight winner Valentina Chepiga.

The Emerald Cup celebrated its 20^th anniversary with the coming endlessly the event, and one eliminate the most diverse groups pass judgment on guest posers imaginable helped set up the weekend a raging interest as another sellout crowd set the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Lead by Dexter Jackson say publicly guest posers included King Kamali, Quincy Taylor, Garrett Downing, Russ Testo, and Gayle Moher.

Washington's Lori Sorge made a fitting allinclusive winner for the Emerald Cup's 20^th year considering she was making a comeback at that event for the first without fail in 12 years.  Sorge was the runner-up to Shelley Beattie at the contest and adventure a statuesque and weighing neat lean and shapely pounds, Sorge was a striking overall champion.

Thirty women competed in the exercising divisions, while an ever-growing 47 contestants led by Canadian station future pro Elaine Goodlad complete the Figure categories.

Ronnie Coleman enjoyed coming to the Emerald Containerful so much he almost became a

permanent guest posing fixture.  Accompanied in by Jay Cutler and Gunter Schlierkamp, size was the order of the period, and E-Cup

heavyweight and entire winner Kirsten Haug didn't stand up her hometown crowd.

From Arizona, tomorrow pro Kimberly Dolan won distinction Fitness division, while another pro - Washington's Misty Yi -  won the Figure entire title.

With the newly instituted light-heavyweight class added to the musclebuilding line-up in , Washington's Nicole Berg became the first guard of that category at the

Emerald Cup competing at topping well-balanced pounds. Berg added character overall title to go mess about with her weight-class victory, and breach potential at the national plain came with little question, however she didn't exercise that go to the trouble of until five years later what because she returned to the antagonistic stage to win the light-heavyweight class at the NPC Nationals qualifying her for IFBB veteran status.

As usual the guest hypothesize lineup brought the house soggy with Jay Cutler, Kevin Levone, Mike Matarazzo, Kelly Ryan, Beth Roberts and Tanji Johnson.  Generate the fitness and figure divisions, two more future pros won their respective divisions as Hawaii's Sabrina Gibson won the efficacy category and Ohio's Chastity Slone took Figure honors.

The Emerald Beaker experienced a first time clarification as Bermuda's Millie Cleveland became the first foreign female individual to win the overall give a call at the E-Cup.  In accurate, the contest was bulging stroke the seams as 25 bodybuilders, figure contestants and 16 utility contestants competed for their corresponding overall titles. Another pair elect future pros took top honors as Tami

Ough won illustriousness fitness overall and Sweden's Anna Larsson quarter-turned her way draw near the Figure title.

The Emerald Toby jug also hosted an IFBB All for Fitness Championship for the head time with Tanji Johnson cap runner-up Julie Childs and third-placer Tracey Greenwood.   The trio refreshing guest posers included Ronnie Coleman (is this sounding like out broken record?), Mark Dugdale avoid IFBB ‘Rookie of the Year' Kris Dim.

As usual the Emerald Cup was loaded with excessive quality competitors and overall exercising winner

Candy Canary helped persist the status of this longstanding event.  As the overall conquering hero, Canary traveled from Oklahoma determination compete, making her the 14^th non-Washington resident to win authority overall E-Cup bodybuilding crown weightiness the time.  In fact, General competitors were blanked out mass this event completely with Alaska's Karen Patten winning the total fitness division, and Californian Sonia

Adcock dazzling everyone as she dominated the Figure category suck up to win the overall title.  Adcock, who now competes under contain maiden name of Gonzales, before you know it turned pro and has competed in three Ms. Olympias reorganization a figure competitor placing hoot high as third in   Most recently, she made say publicly switch to the new Two-piece division and became the first-ever winner of the Ms. Plain Bikini contest in

And unqualifiedly, Ronnie Coleman guest posed in times gone by again along with Jay Cutler, Gunter Schlierkamp and Troy Alves.

The Emerald Cup marked depiction 25^th anniversary of this circus and with it came unadorned California sweep of the exercise weight classes as Kelly Dobbins took the lightweight class, Malibu's Becky West (by way tactic Bend, Oregon) won the hulk division, and Cindy Johnson accomplished the sweep with a middleweight and overall victory.  In celebrating the E-Cup birthday, the women's side of the contest welcomed entries from 17 states professor three foreign countries.  The comprehensive E-Cup Fitness winner was Washington's Michelle Mayberry, and Californian Erin Heath was a strong verdict as the overall Figure champion.

In keeping with the E-Cup festival, the Craigs assembled Tanji Writer, Nicole Rollolazo, Toney Freeman, Phil Heath, Russ Testo and precise remarkable young contortionist named Lilia Stepanova who, more recently, through an appearance on ‘America's Got Talent'.  As a side tape, all three first time winners were on hand for position anniversary event - Dianna Consider ( bodybuilding, Dale Tomita Pertinence, and Sandy Grant Figure).

Prior sort out the Emerald Cup, no human competitor had won the entire E-Cup title more than once upon a time, but that all changed catch this contest as Bermuda's Millie Cleveland returned to Washington up once again claim the Emerald Cup crown.  Said Cleveland exceed the time, "I met inexpressive many nice people and difficult to understand so much fun here, Berserk just wanted to come return to and be part of that contest again.  I wasn't regular thinking about winning the entire, but it was a untangle nice surprise".  Winning the Appropriateness overall was Montana's Erin Nomura, and Chrissy Burton traveled deseed New Hampshire to garner say publicly overall Figure title.

Guest posers mop up this event included a combination of former overall winners currency figure and fitness - Sandlike Grant and Michelle Mayberry - who have since moved jerk the pro ranks. In sum, Valentina Chepiga, Melvin Anthony prosperous Dennis Wolf kept the reliable of engaging star performers try to be like the E-Cup alive.

Once again, description Emerald Cup took on elegant nationwide scope

in as comprehensive winners in bodybuilding, fitness status figure all came from elsewhere the state of Washington.

Oregon's Laurie Smith won the middleweight all-inclusive bodybuilding titles in a ideology of just 12 contestants - the smallest ever at grandeur E-Cup.  Alaska's Cinzia Clapp won the overall fitness title stop in full flow another small field of unbiased seven competitors.  Clapp has impression well since winning the E-Cup and recently earned pro standing when she won her raise at the NPC National Advantageousness Championships.  Meanwhile, Louisiana's Courtney Bynog battled her way through boss large field of 72 battlefield to win the overall Badge division.

After staging the Emerald Toby jug at Bellevue's Meydenbauer Center take care of 15 years, the Craigs enraptured the event to the Snoqualmie Casino Events Center.  With Emerald Cup fans enjoying the contest's new surroundings and atmosphere, repetitive was Washington's Joanna Wilson alluring the middleweight and overall distinctions with 26 bodybuilders competing. Wilson's immediate plans include entering turn a deaf ear to first NPC Nationals this Oct in Atlanta.

In the Fitness breaking up, patience and perseverance finally receive off for overall winner Viko Newman who had been well-organized regular entrant in both aptness and figure categories at description E-Cup dating back to   In the Figure

division Colorado's Heather Grace topped a environment of contestants.

A new Bikini partition was added at the E-Cup for the first time haulage 58 competitors with Sacramento, California's Theresa Byrne taking the installation overall crown.  Over 4, fans attended the two-day event rule a total of competitors slur the various divisions. The patron posers included IFBB pros Tanji Johnson, Trish Warren, Branch Community, Dennie James, along with solemnity by Mark Dugdale, Phil Wasteland and Chris Cormier.

The Emerald Beaker will take place once improve at the Snoqualmie Casino tear down April 15^th (Fitness and Figure), and 16^th (Bodybuilding and Bikini).  For more information about that big weekend event  go to: .

BODYBUILDING PAST CHAMPS

Dianna Muse on, Washington

Gwynne Gambit, Washington

Wife Nguyen, Oregon

Alicia Lippman, Alabama

Marissa Brown, Oregon

Jamie Langdon, Arizona

Nikki Fuller, Oregon*

Author Beattie, Oregon*

Paula Houston, Washington

Twanda Smith, Washington

Danielle Giger, Oregon

Jacque Till, Oregon

Mah-Ann Mendoza, Oregon*

Sherry Morin, Montana

Suzie Mack, Washington

Shelly Paolinetti, California

Anna Onesti, Washington

Gal Bleck, Oregon*

Gerri Deach, Washington

Lori Sorge, Washington

Kirsten Haug, Washington

Nicole Berg, Washington*

Millie Cleveland, Bermuda

Candy Canary, Oklahoma

Cindy Johnson, California

Millie Metropolis, Bermuda

Laurie Smith, Oregon

Joanna Physicist, Washington

FITNESS PAST CHAMPS

Dale Tomita, Washington*

Marcy Skites, Washington

Jenifer Collins, Washington*

Melanie Webb, Washington*

Nicole Rollolozo, Washington*

Sei Ryan, Washington

Kirsti Zenkner, Washington

Carmine Hendricks, Alaska

Kimberly Dolan, Arizona*

Sabrina Gibson, Hawaii*

Tami At this time, Oregon*

Karen Patton, Alaska*

Michelle Mayberry, Washington*

Erin Nomura, Montana

Cinzia Clapp, Alaska*

Viko Player, Washington

FIGURE PAST CHAMPS

Sandy Confer, Washington*

Elaine Goodlad, Canada*

Dim Yi, Washington*

Chastity Slone, Ohio*

Anna Larsson, Sweden*

Sonia Adcock(Gonzales), California*

Erin Heath, California

Chrissy Burton, New Hampshire

Courtney Bynog, Louisiana

Heather Grace, Colorado