As the 2007 Rookie of the Year, Monique Jones earned a perfect score card of three wins in her first year competing as an OCB figure competitor including the overall Figure title at the OCB Yorton Cup Nationals and a brand new shiny IFPA pro card. We know that her future success is eminent given her impressive v-taper physique, symmetry, and conditioning.

Our OCB Grand Master of the Year award goes to the competitor over 50 years of age whose physique inspires and impresses onlookers and seems to defy the aging process. Our Grand Masters winner Neal Grossman, age 60, definitely puts the younger competitors in check with his impressive physique and young-at-heart smile. With wide lats, washboard abs, striated quads, and calves to die for, Neal gives us all something to look forward to.

The OCB Award for Most Improved goes to Qawnana Crockett. Like night and day, her amazing transformation from the 2006 to 2007 competition year produced an incredibly conditioned and muscled physique that blew everyone away at the OCB Presidential Cup in August 2007 and earned her an overall win and a coveted IFPA Figure pro card.

The male athlete who competed in the most OCB shows for 2007 was Melvon Ware. Many have seen Melvin's highly entertaining and creatively choreographed routines that have earned him numerous Best Poser awards. With an amazing run of seven OCB shows, Melvin Ware is not only the “House Rocker”, but also the Iron Man!

The female athlete who competed in the most OCB shows for 2007 was Tosha Heitmann. Tosha participated in a mini-marathon of four OCB shows in 2007 as a figure competitor. She plans to take 2008 off to build up, then come back to the stage in 2009.

The OCB wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for the people who give of their time and talent behind the scenes to help produce the shows and make them memorable experiences for all who compete and watch. The OCB Service Award recognizes Yvette White for her multiple talents and dedication of time on multiple occasions to OCB shows. “Lady Y” volunteered at six OCB shows in 2007 either as an emcee, judge, expeditor backstage, show assistant, or performing the national anthem at the start of shows. On one occasion she did three of these tasks in one show!

And how would we ever know who the best is on stage without a panel of judges? It’s that row of suits in the front row that stands between the applause of the crowd and the line of well-oiled muscle on the stage. In the OCB we pride ourselves on professional judges who dedicate their time to the sport, maintain consistency in scoring, and provide valuable feedback to the athletes. Anthony Primola is our OCB Judge of the Year for answering the call without hesitation, making himself available to travel great distances, and judging multiple shows in one year. Thank you, Anthony, for your service to the sport of natural bodybuilding.

The OCB Promoter of the Year is Sean Sullivan who promotes four shows a year across New England with #1 Team Sully supporter, Debbie Sullivan. Sullivan’s shows come highly recommended and are known for being fun and well organized. He takes great pride as an OCB promoter and does his best to meet all his obligations to the OCB and to the competitors he serves.

The OCB Buser Award is named after the legendary Chuck Buser who was known for his remarkable physique symmetry. From what we have seen of Tommy Jeffers both on stage and from studying his photos, he definitely has great symmetry. Equally sized and shaped muscles both on the left and the right, with legs that push their own weight against a solid upper body, we feel he is the epitome of physique symmetry in natural bodybuilding for 2007.

Inspiration Award - Richard Herskovitz

The OCB Inspiration Award recognizes a competitor who overcame difficult obstacles and whose actions and determination are inspiring. In October 2005 Richard Herskovitz contracted a disease called Necrotizing Fasciitis, also known as “The Flesh Eating Infection”. He spent six weeks in a shock trauma center, had 15 surgeries, and spent hundreds of hours in a hyperbaric chamber. For the next 15 months doctors tried to save what was left of his right leg. But in December of 2006 he had his right leg amputated below the knee. Before his amputation he set some goals. One of them was to get on stage again as a bodybuilder. He achieved that goal in 2007 and competed in three competitions from May to November. Richard’s goal now is to inspire people who face physical obstacles to believe that nothing is impossible.”

According to his nomination letter “Despite a family relocation and the birth of his child in late 2007, Rico volunteered to take the place of a fellow Marine who was to be deployed to Iraq in January 2008 so the other Marine could be present at the birth of his child due to be born after his deployment.” Because of this selfless act of service to our country, and the example of good sportsmanship he displays as a competitive bodybuilder, we would like to recognize Phillip “Rico” Ricardo, Jr. with the Sullivan sportsmanship award.

The Most Valuable Person of the Year award recognizes an individual who contributed to the growth, betterment and spirit of the OCB and the sport of natural physique. Layne Norton has yet to cash in the IFPA Pro card he earned in 2006. But in the mean time he has become known as a published author of many articles on contest prep, supplementation, and exercise demonstration both in print and on the Internet on sites like Bodybuilding.com and YouTube. He continues his research in nutrition and supplementation educating others through his articles, ongoing discussions, and professional coaching services.