Natural Bodybuilding Competition Forum

We would like to thank all our competitors for making the 2008 OCB Natural Yankee Classic a success! This year we had 54 competitors ready to battle it out on stage and that they did! This made for a very exciting show for the near capacity crowd in attendance. We are well on our way to bringing the Yankee Classic back to legendary status!

On Saturday July 26, 2008, the 4^th annual 2008 OCB Natural Yankee Classic was held at Newburyport High School in Newburyport, MA. The show is promoted by Justin, Amy & Joel Napolitano and sponsored by East Coast Sports Nutrition, www.eastcoastsportsnutrition.com, who also provided samples of their MaxBlend7 TRP protein, Maximum Muscle Pump. Also providing samples for the Yankee Classic goody bags was Proto Food's (Ostrim Jerky Sticks), Gaspari Nutrition (Shaker Cup), Scivation (Xtend), Power Butter (Peanut Butter), BNRG (Power Crunch Bars)!

The Figure Novice division had nine outstanding competitors, Karen Tuttle, Robin Dobson, Meagan Hanson, Vanessa Rizzari, Sarah Sawtelle, Jessica Imbriglio, Melissa Cellurale, Nicole Augusto, and Becky Labushesky which was broken into two divisions. The short division was captured by Karen Tuttle, while Jessica Imbriglio was victorious in the tall division.  In the end it was Jessica Imbriglio taking the Figure Novice overall trophy.

The Women's Figure 45+ division winner was Wendy Watkins. While Tracy Gamelin won the Women's Figure 35+ by topping Robin Dobson, Cathy Davis, and Sarah Sawtelle.

Jillian Carroll went on to win the Women’s Figure Open Overall by beating two very tough classes that had (Short Class) Tracey Gamelin, Tiffany Tyson, Karen Tuttle, Meagan Hanson, Vanessa Razzari, Wendy Watkins, Sarah Sawtelle, (Tall Class) Jessica Imbriglio (Women’s Open Tall Winner), Cathy Davis, Nicole Augusto and Becky Labushesky.

In the Women's Bodybuilding 45+ Rhonda Farina topped Michele White to take the 1^st place trophy, while in the Women's Bodybuilding 35+ Pearla Phillips topped a well condition class filled with Rhonda Farina, Sheryl Baxter, and Michele White to take the 1^st place trophy.

Pearla Phillips, Sheryl Baxter and Michlyn Derocher battled it out in the Women’s Bodybuilding Novice with Pearla Phillips taking the top placing.

With an increase of numbers in this year’s Women's Bodybuilding Open, Pearla Phillips stood strong against a well conditioned and muscular group of women which included Rhonda Farina, Michlyn Derocher, Sheryl Baxter, Rachel Ricker and Michele White to take the Women’s Bodybuilding Open Overall sword.

The men’s teen division was filled with four young promising competitors.  The 1st place trophy was won by Francisco Marquez, followed by Anthony Petrella, Curtis Davis and Joe Pizzoferrato.

In a large Novice division with 3 classes and twenty six large and well conditioned competitors, Henry Leite took the Men’s Novice Short topping Francisco Marquez, Anthony Petrella, John Trioano, Mark Oymaian and Eric Stagno. The Men’s Novice Medium was won by a very well conditioned and muscular Markus Ricci who topped Christopher Robishaw, Timothy Dean, Wayne Lisi, Joseph Dinicola, Brian Rothbaum, Howard Jeandenis, Michael Lincoln, Marc Bristol, and Sam McGowen. In the Men's Bodybuilding Novice Tall John Howard came out on top by beating Dillon Marinelli, Michael Bates, Fernando Bent-Mullings, Joel Farmer, Chandler Quintin, Rick Jeffries, Stephen Benotti, Gary Young and Joe Pizzoferrato. 

Your Men’s Bodybuilding Novice Overall was battled out by Henry Leite, Markus Ricci and John Howard with Markus Ricci coming out on top at the end to take the Novice Overall top honors.

Francis Clark took 1^st in the Men’s Bodybuilding 60+ while he also took top honors in the Men’s 50+ by topping the well conditioned group of Gerald Stagno, Joseph Dinicola, Mark Oymaian and James Dill.

The Men’s 40+ was won by Kelvin Moore beating out James Dill for the 1^st place trophy.

The Men’s Bodybuilding Open division consisted of 2 very tough classes. Matthew Halfrey won the short class by edging out Henry Leite, Timothy Dean, Howard Jeandenis and John Trioano, while Brent Lake took the Men’s Bodybuilding Open tall class by fighting off a large and well conditioned class that consisted of Markus Ricci (Novice Overall) (Men's BP), Raymon Beaureguard, Wayne Lisi, Michael Bates, Joe Farmer, Kelvin Moore, Rick Jeffries, Chandler Quintin, Curtis Davis, Marc Bristol, Sam McGowen.

With Matthew Halfrey and Brent Lake in the Men’s Bodybuilding Open Overall battling for the overall trophy, a beautiful 43” sword, the crowd at near capacity, the open posedown music blasting, the 2008 OCB Natural Yankee Classic Open Overall was awarded to Brent Lake of Salisbury, MA who took top honors.   

This years OCB Natural Yankee Classic’s guest poser was the phenomenal 2007 Yankee Classic Men’s Bodybuilding Open Overall winner Chuck Martin. Chuck who had just started his contest prep for the Cape Cod Natural brought a physique and routine that showed why he is a champion! Your Best Posers were won by the very entertaining Pearla Phillips and the back flipping Markus Ricci!

We would like to also thank those that helped us make this year so successful. Our judges, Sean Sullivan, Mel Schenck, Claire McNally, Ken Arsenault and Laura Tourtellot. Our expeditors Big Mike Hludzik, Jerry Marsella and Al “Gatch” and our photographer James Scarpetta, www.jjsphotodesign.com!

The 2009 OCB Natural Yankee Classic will be back in Newburyport next summer for its fifth year on July 25, 2009. Hope to see you all then!

After undergoing open heart surgery as a child, health and fitness became crucial to my day to day survival. I have co-owned Maximum Nutrition Centers (www.maxnut.com) with my brother Joel since 2004. We also run and operate two product lines, one as mentioned above is East Coast Sports Nutrition and the other is Phenom Labs, (www.phenomlabs.com). We wanted to ensure that the Yankee Classic continued as a Yankee Homecoming tradition in Newburyport, MA each summer and look forward to promoting many more in the coming years.  I am married to Amy Napolitano and we have two sons, Evan who is 3 and Aiden who is 8 ½ months.