Coppett Cops Greater Gulf States Pro Physique Crown
by Steve Wennerstrom, IFBB Women's Historian
With the official entry list for the pr
o Physique division appearing a week before the Greater Gulf States contest on June 21, the event had all the trappings of an interesting scuffle among several contestants who carried notable contest resumes over the past year and a half.
Promoters Luke and Robin Tesvich staged the contest at the Landmark Hotel in Metairie, Louisiana, on the doorstep of New Orleans where it's always time to 'Laissez les bons temps rouler'.....Let The Good Times Roll ! For this event, 16 contestants were all hoping that the good times would roll as they put their best physical traits on display in an effort to earn a qualifying spot at the upcoming Ms. Olympia, or at least gain valuable points towards the additional five invitational slots available.
With the 21st being dubbed as Fabulous Female Friday, both the IFBB pro events and NPC amateur women's were held simultaneously. The men would take center stage on Saturday.
Among the 16 competing in the pro Physique division 14 Americans - representing 12 states - plus 2 Canadians filled out the field. Adding to the drama of the event was the fact the top four finishers from last year's Greater Gulf States show were returning, including winner Tamee Marie in an effort to defend her title. Last year's entry list included just nine contestants, so the additional seven entries added to this year's list would understandably make the competition that much more intense.
THE RACES FOR THE PLACES WERE AGONIZINGLY CLOSE
In addition to the top four from last year's Greater Gulf States returning, another group of notables also helped crowd the rush for the top five spots. Leading this bunch was Nola Trimble who was a two-time Physique division winner last year with victories at the Wings of Strength in Chicago and the Pro Bodybuilding Weekly Tampa Pro. With those victories she set herself strongly as one of the new division's 'one's to watch'.
Along with Trimble, Frances Mendez always shows a potential to pry her way into the top finishers. Last year she was a fourth-place finisher at the Europa Show of Champions and was the runner-up at the Valenti Gold Cup. Her one stumble was a surprising 16th-place finish at this year's New York Pro where many felt she was simply lost in the crowd.
With little question, Tycie Coppett brought the most perplexing group of contest finishes to this event. In her two entries last year she placed ninth at the Tampa Pro in her Physique division debut, followed by an encouraging runner-up finish at the Houston Pro at the end of the year. But in kicking off the 2013 season Coppett once again found herself placing an inexplicable ninth, only to bounce b
ack with another runner-up finish at the Optimum Classic and helping restore her faith in the judging system. Her contest experiences are a classic example of the fluidity that exists as the new division tries to find its way on the road of contest judging criteria and its desire to nail down that illusive level of consistency.
Canadian veteran pro fitness standout Mindi O'Brien made her debut as a Physique competitor a good one when she placed third at the Toronto Super Show at the beginning of this month. Multiple observers felt she carries a physique that is ideally suited for this type of judging system.
A stalwart competitor from 2012, Jennifer Robinson has been a consistent top-five placer, and in all five contests she entered a year ago she did exactly that. This year, however, has been uncharacteristic of her abilities as she placed sixth at the Europa Show of Champions and seventh at the Optimum Classic.
Californian Carrie Simmons also had to figure in this mix considering the fact that her two placings in 2012 ( seventh at the LA Grand Prix and eighth at the New York Pro) were strong efforts considering the highly competitive field at each of those events – she no doubt had her sights set on a top-five finish here.
With the first call-out of prejudging, the five who got the call included Karin Hobbs, Tycie Coppett, Tamee Marie, Carrie Simmons and Mindi O'Brien. With no real surprise among that quintet, the only major omission, for many, was Nola Trimble being excluded. In fact, Trimble wasn't brought out until the second call of four. And that second round call-out was enough to drop her from contention in a matter of minutes. But within the first group, little did anyone realize just how close the judging (scoring) was. The wide variety of the physiques was playing havoc with the judges. 
And the final tallies would be the graphic evidence of just how close these five were.
TYCIE TAKES IT
As the judging wore on, Tycie Coppett began to emerge as a favorable choice of the panel with Mindi O'Brien's outstanding conditioning and stage experience keeping her close – very close. Coppett,
at 5-9, 152 pounds, was statuesque with broad shoulders and a tapered waistline, and managed to cast a shadow on everyone except Tamee Marie who was also 5-9. From Atlanta, Coppett is a professor and currently working on her doctorate. She notes that track & field and basketball were part of her sports background before she entered the world of figure competitions. Switching to the Physique division in 2011, Coppett earned her pro status with a runner-up finish in her height class at the NPC Nationals. Now she is qualified for this year's Ms. Olympia, and she gratefully accepted a check for $2,000 as the winner's share of the contest prize money.
In the final point totals Mindi O'Brien claimed the runner-up position and $1,000. Her second-place finish enables her to add an additional four valuable points to her Olympia qualification total and put her in a strong running to earn a trip to Las Vegas. For the 5-5, 125-pound O'Brien that journey will be nothing new. As a pro fitness competitor she has competed in seven Ms. Olympias, not to mention six invitations to the Ms. International. An IFBB pro since 2004, O'Brien won the 2004 Southwest Pro Fitness in her pro debut making her Canada's first pro fitness winner. With over 20 previous fitness contest entries at the pro level, O'Brien brings a highly cultivated muscular look, and that, along with her posing abilities (and wonderful body awareness) born out of her years of fitness experience, should make her very comfortable and potentially successful in the Physique division. O'Brien may not have known just how close she was to upending Tycie Coppett considering Coppett's final score was 4, with O'Brien just a point behind with 5.
The second point battle was waged with third-place finisher Tamee Marie, and fourth-placed Karin Hobbs. Marie was the Greater Gulf States winner in 2012 and was back in the hopes of retaining her title. It wasn't to be. Nevertheless, she was in the hunt from the first call-out with only the need for special attention to her tanning process and filling out her frame with a few more pounds of visible muscle. At 5-9 (the same height as Coppett) she appeared at least a dozen pounds lighter than Coppett. Already qualified for the Olympia based on her Houston Pro victory at the end of last year, Marie will get another chance to go shoulder to shoulder with Coppett....and at the Olympia where there will be another 5-9er in Pa
tricia Melo. That trio would make a terrific call-out. A Southern Californian – born and raised - from Orange County, Marie now calls Nebraska home, and as a leap year baby she'll be considerably younger (somewhere around 9 years of age) than her Olympia counterparts! Marie's third-place earnings came to $500.
Right on Marie's heels was Idaho's Karin Hobbs in fourth. With the historical claim to fame as the first overall Physique division winner at the NPC Nationals in 2011, she made her pro debut a good one by winning the California Governor's Cup last year. She was also the runner-up at the Greater Gulf States as well. This year she has made a concerted effort to earn her way to the Olympia competing for the fourth time this year. In those events she has picked off two third-place spots and a fourth here, putting her Olympia qualification point total solidly in the running to make one of the available positions with three contests remaining on the qualification contest schedule. And the final scores for Marie and Hobbs?
10 for Marie. 11 for Hobbs. Agonizing.
Nailing down the fifth place spot was Californian Carrie Simmons. Picking up the final Olympia qualifying point for her placing, Simmons also posted her best Physique division effort. Turning pro as a fitness competitor placing second in her class at the 2010 NPC Nationals, Simmons competed as a pro in the fitness division before switching to Physique in 2012. Her fifth-place finish here now has her on a more suitable path. Her final point total was 17.
And what became of the third and fourth place finishers at this event from last year? Fourth placer Gloria Faulls slipped two spots to sixth here, while third-placer Jennifer Robinson, looking for all the world like she passed on a serious dieting regimen, plummeted to the 16th-place position in the field of 16. That would have been a bet no one would have taken before the show got underway. T
he good bet would be that she won't allow that to happen again.
Outside the Top Five
6- Gloria Faulls, New Jersey 19
7- Frances Mendez, Alabama 20
8- Nola Trimble, Illinois 23
9- Samantha Hill, Louisiana 28
10- Alisa Alday, Georgia 29
11- Cinzia Clapp, Alaska 33
12- Asha Hadley, Florida 35
13- Loan Leonard, California 41
14- Cynthia Jansen, Canada 44
15- Trina Thompson, Kentucky 44
16- Jennifer Robinson, Tennessee 45
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