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 By: Alissa Carpio The highly anticipated IFBB Southwest Pro Cup will be an exclusive chance for the world's top female physique competitors to show their stuff! IFBB Women's Bodybuilding & Fitness will be the features of this exciting event, which is taking place for the eleventh year under the direction of Ed and Betty Pariso. Additional events include an NPC competition, weightlifting and power lifting events, a health and fitness expo, and more! Date: August 6-7, 2004 Location: Arlington Convention Center - Arlington, Texas Official Website: http://www.swusaexpo.com Promoters: Ed Pariso & Betty Pariso, IFBB Pro Reps Event Sponsors: Five Star Nutritional Technologies, Vaso-Test Complete Competitor Listing (in alphabetical order)
Bodybuilding:
This preview will focus on the IFBB Fitness competition, which includes a lineup of 26 of the worlds' most fit and beautiful women, all vying for the championship title and an Olympia qualification. Many new pros will be showing their stuff at this show, and several women will be staging their comebacks here after taking several years off from competition. Of course, one cannot rule out the veteran competitors. With such a diverse lineup, this show is bound to be full of anticipation and excitement! Stay tuned to get a sneak peek at what this thrilling event will bring!
The impact Tracey's made on the IFBB pro scene has been incredible, and with many of the top pros deciding to forego this event, Tracey is the veteran favorite to take top honors and win her second pro show since the inception of her career. Tracey won the Jan Tana in 2003, placed 4th in the 2003 Olympia, and 8th at this year's Fitness International. Keep an eye on Tracey, as she is sure to make a mark in Texas next week.
 Tracey Greenwood.
There are ten women who will make this show one of their first IFBB events ever. These girls are young to the sport and full of energy. They're ready to make their mark in the pro fitness world! Don't make the mistake of discounting any of them, as the top slots are wide open. Lydia Haskell, Amy Huber, Lea Waide, Karen Walcott, Mindi O'Brien, Melissa Babers, and Shannon Dey will be making their pro debuts at this show. Lydia is known for her salsa flair and incredible symmetry. Amy always brings a ton of energy and a tight package. Lea has some of the best routines in the sport. Karen is coming off a huge overall win at the 2003 IFBB Caribbean Championships and adds foreign flair to her presentation. Mindi is fresh off an incredible victory at last month's Canadian Fitness National Championships and is ready to do some damage. Melissa is known for her awesome balance of symmetry, musculature, and conditioning. Shannon's amazing enthusiasm and stage presence is top notch. Keep your eye on these talented women to see what they will bring to the pro stage.
Lea Waide & Mindi O'Brien. Teri Mooney, Debbie Czempinski, and Donna Jones all competed in the New York Pro last March. After getting some pro show experience, rest assured that these women will come back stronger and much improved to add to the intense level of competition. Teri placed 8th overall in NY and won the 45-second mandatory routine in her first pro show ever! Debbie placed first in the one-piece round at this show and only needs to bring her routine up to be a top contender. Donna struggled with her placing in NY, but don't rule her out, as anything is possible in this exciting sport!
 Teri Mooney.
Five pros who've recently taken extended breaks from competition will be staging their comebacks at the Southwest. They are ready to make a dent in the competition and earn their qualification for the Big "O." The Latin Spitfire, Alti Bautista, is set to storm on stage with an awesome tight and muscular physique and a new Cabwoman-inspired routine. Jennie Hanke always brings in a more muscular physique, which is a very pleasing look for her, and a gymnastics-filled routine.
Alti Bautista & Jennie Hanke. Also coming back are Liz Maurice, Rosi Mena Berrocal, and Shena Forkner-Jones. It will be interesting to see how these ladies plan to attack the competition and make an impact on the judges.
Several competitors have been working hard to bring up their physiques and routines to climb the ranks of pro fitness, which is a very difficult process as the level of competition keeps rising and the bar keeps getting higher and higher. Watch for these girls, as they are sure to add to the great level of competition. Julie Childs has made significant improvements to her physique and has always brought great routines. Mother of four, Bridgette Newell, is one of the top routine performers in the sport, recently winning the "Best Routine" award at the Jan Tana Classic. Kirsten Nicewarner brings an incredible physique and statuesque beauty to the stage, and her routine is solidified with strong gymnastics. Angela Semsch is climbing the ranks, having made her pro debut at the Fitness International earlier this year. She only needs to improve her routines to the level of her incredible physique to do some severe damage in the sport.
Angela Semsch & Kirsten Nicewarner. Carla Sanchez really burst onto the scene last year by doing three top shows. Look for her to continue improving on her placements. Carla Freda also made her pro debut at the Arnold and quickly moved up to place 9th at the New York Pro. Also striving to make their mark will be Sandy Grant, Tracy Traskos, Amy Haddad, and Maria Laura Cerbelli.
It's tough for anyone to predict the top finishers in any fitness event. These girls must have the perfect balance of physique and routine to place well. Here are the girls who, in my opinion, will be ones to watch in each respective round, in no particular order.
Routine: As anyone who follows the sport of pro fitness knows, it takes more than being great at one round. You have to have a great balance of both to come out a champion. Here are my overall placing predictions for the Southwest.
Rounding out the top 10, in no particular order:
2002 Show Results: Weekend Highlights:
Special Guests:
Other Guests in Attendance: Contest Coverage:
About The Author Alissa is the current NPC BodyRock/Monica Brant Fitness Champion and is the Owner and Webmaster of Fit Figures and www.fitfigures.net. Her site highlights female physique athletes by featuring interviews, profiles, and articles, as well as contest coverage. The site also contains a huge bodybuilding and fitness directory of over 400 links and competitor resources. Fit Figures offers full website design and administration services to female physique competitors and models. Also, check out Isaac Hinds' Team Universe, Figure Nationals & New York Pro Preview.
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