With over 400 competitors, here are the top overall winners and the final shot of the night on stage here in Atlanta. Congratulations to Ed Nunn, Erin Stern and Shiela Black.

Congratulations to Ed Nunn for winning the overall NPC National men’s bodybuilding contest.   This photo is just after Ed realized that he was chosen to win the overall and was overwhelmed! It was a great moment at one of the best NPC National events, which had a packed house.

Up and coming NPC Bodybuilder, Tobias Young, joins the ON Athletes team and looks forward to even greater gains – in the gym and on the stage. Optimum Nutrition has joined forces with Tobias Young, who placed an impressive 2nd in the Heavyweight Class at last month’s NPC San Francisco Bodybuilding & Figure Championships. The 33 year old has an extremely impressive physique at 5-feet, 11-inches and 235 pounds. His favorite exercise is dual cable lat pull downs, because of the extra ‘squeeze’ he gets at the bottom of each rep to build his imposing back.

Tobias’ inspiration? “When I was about 5 years old, I was a fan of The Incredible Hulk on TV. I’d strut around ripping off my shirt and flexing. Since then, I’ve been working hard to put on muscle. In fact, I’ve been training for 20 years,” he said. After stints as a high school and college football player, Tobias found his calling. “I competed in my first bodybuilding competition at the 2002 NPC Border States show, where I placed 2nd in the Novice Class.” Determined to post an even better performance, he won his class at the 2004 NPC Pacific USA Naturals and followed that with an Overall win at the MCRD Muscle Madness competition two weeks later. Watch for more impressive performances in the years to come, and check the ON Athletes Page at www.optimumnutrition.com/team.php for upcoming appearances at gyms and nutrition retailers. Up and coming NPC Bodybuilder, Tobias Young, joins the ON Athletes team and looks forward to even greater gains – in the gym and on the stage. Optimum Nutrition has joined forces with Tobias Young, who placed an impressive 2nd in the Heavyweight Class at last month’s NPC San Francisco Bodybuilding & Figure Championships. The 33 year old has an extremely impressive physique at 5-feet, 11-inches and 235 pounds. His favorite exercise is dual cable lat pull downs, because of the extra ‘squeeze’ he gets at the bottom of each rep to build his imposing back.

Tobias’ inspiration? “When I was about 5 years old, I was a fan of The Incredible Hulk on TV. I’d strut around ripping off my shirt and flexing. Since then, I’ve been working hard to put on muscle. In fact, I’ve been training for 20 years,” he said. After stints as a high school and college football player, Tobias found his calling. “I competed in my first bodybuilding competition at the 2002 NPC Border States show, where I placed 2nd in the Novice Class.” Determined to post an even better performance, he won his class at the 2004 NPC Pacific USA Naturals and followed that with an Overall win at the MCRD Muscle Madness competition two weeks later.

Team BSN has further expanded its already talent-laden roster with the addition of yet another sporting legend – this time from the world of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), one Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira. Much the same way 8-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman is a legend in bodybuilding circles, Nogueira is legend in the MMA brotherhood. Not only is he the current UFC® Interim Heavyweight Champion and the star of the hit reality series The Ultimate Fighter™: Season 8, Nogueira also holds the distinction of being the first Heavyweight Champion of the former Japanese fighting organization PRIDE®, and is the only man in the history of MMA to hold both UFC® and PRIDE® Heavyweight Championship titles.

Standing a towering 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing in the neighborhood of 240 pounds, the Brazilian born superstar is a black belt in Judo as well as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and also possesses some serious striking and submission ability. Nogueira is poised and ready to showcase these world-class skills at UFC® 92: THE ULTIMATE 2008 (December 27th, 2008), where he will face-off against former UFC® heavyweight champ Frank Mir. Currently, both men are opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter™: Season 8, which airs every Wednesday at 10 pm EST on SPIKE TV. It’s widely thought in MMA circles that the winner of the Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar fight taking place at UFC® 91: COUTURE VS. LESNAR on November 15th will face off against the winner of the Nogueira vs. Mir fight sometime in 2009 to unify the UFC® Heavyweight Championship title.

Here is the current NPC National Mens competitor lists for the upcoming 2008 NPC National Bodybuilding contest in Atlanta. See you there.

Mens Super Heavyweights

Adam Weidel    –    Monroe, GA
Eboni Wilson    –    Schererville, IN
Edward Nunn    –    Anderson, IN
Gabriel Latifi    –    Linden, NJ
Grigori Atoyan    –    Sacramento, CA
Jeffrey MacConnie    –    Seymour, CT
Joe Barker    –    Harmony, NC
Kevin Reeves    –    Riverside, CA
Kim Williams    –    Myrtle Beach, SC
Kirk DeFrancesco    –    West Mifflin, PA
Korbie Nitiforo    –    Albuquerque, NM
Malcolm Marshall    –    Winston-Salem, NC
Malik Ismeal    –    Pleasanton, CA
Mario Possemato    –    Hillsborough, NJ
Marlon Foots    –    Port Arthur, TX
Marvin Harper, Jr.    –    Cincinnati, OH
Micah Hooker    –    Fort Worth, TX
Mike Eastlake    –    Bellaire, TX
Paul DeSimone    –    Danvers, MA
Rasheed Oldacre    –    Colorado Springs, CO
Rudy Richards    –    Bronx, NY
Sean Allan    –    Bethesda, MD
Stephen Frazier    –    Grand Prairie, TX
Stephen Kuclo    –    Plano, TX
Steve Brydges    –    Williamsburg, MI
Sven Maldonado    –    Queens, NY
Trey Brewer    –    Smyrna, GA
Wondell LeFlore    –    Pflugerville, TX

Men’s Heavyweights

Aaron Boniecki    –    Mokena, IL
Anthoneil Champagnie    –    Brooklyn, NY
Dan Decker    –    Fountain Valley, CA
Dan Newmire    –    Marietta, GA
David Fenty    –    Spring Hill, FL
Dennis Hopson    –    North Brunswick, NJ
Frank Nezdoba    –    Phoenix, AZ
Fred Smalls II    –    Newark, DE
Gerald Williams    –    Oakland, CA
J. David Dorsey    –    Rome, GA
Jack Colten    –    Sayre, OK
Jason Huh    –    Sarasota, FL
Jason Marcus    –    Decatur, GA
Jea Jung    –    Charlotte, NC
Jeff Long    –    Browns Mills, NJ
Kevin LeDoux    –    Opelousas, LA
Lam Chenevert    –    Houston, TX
Mark Alvisi    –    Delray Beach, FL
Martin Sandoval    –    Santa Clara, CA
Michael Liberatore    –    Arlington Heights, IL
Michael Lockett    –    Warrensville Heights, OH
Mike Knowles    –    Holmes, PA
Odis McCullough    –    Stafford, TX
Paul Sousa    –    Tiverton, RI
Randy Moore    –    Jackson, MS
Rodney “Chris” Thomas  –    New Bern, NC
Simi Tufunga    –    Berkeley, CA
Steven Nix    –    Taylors SC
Tim Liggins    –    Kalamazoo, MI
Vladimir Sizov    –    Las Vegas, NV
Yousef Carnegie    –    Philadelphia, PA
Zinjun Croon    –    Las Vegas, NV

Men’s Light Heavyweight

Al Auguste    –    Orlando, FL
Alan Bailey    –    Atlanta, GA
Brad Davis    –    Paducah, KY
Bryan Pazdzierz    –    Washington, MI
Darrell Terrell    –    Oklahoma City, OK
Darrell Williams    –    Mobile, AL
Daryl Broughton    –    Stockbridge, GA
David Fisch    –    Remsen, IA
Donald Mitcham    –    Pensacola, FL
Fidel Taylor    –    Atlanta, GA
Irwin Wierzbicki    –    Chicago Heights, IL
Jason Palafox    –    San Antonio, TX
Jeff Schwartzer    –    Pembroke Pines, FL
Jermaine Bell    –    Trenton, NJ
Joe McRae    –    Dallas, TX
John Foster    –    Dalton, OH
Johnathan Johnson    –    Willoughby, OH
Jonathan DeLa Rosa    –    Scarsdale, NY
Jonathan Oxford    –    Dawsonville, GA
Joshua Fred    –    Carolina, PR
Kenneth Jackson    –    Clinton Twp., MI
Lloyd Dollar    –    Cape Coral, FL
Manny Torres    –    Henderson, NV
Marcos Teixeira    –    San Rafael, CA
Marijan Lipsinic    –    Coral Springs, FL
Marvin Phillips Jr    –    Cincinnati, OH
Michael Bailey    –    Phenix City, AL
Michael Moore    –    Beavercreek, OH
Miguel Garcia    –    Bronx, NY
Mike Yablor    –    New York, NY
Mitchell Staats    –    Bridgeton, MO
Monty Mabry    –    Miamisburg, OH
Peter Putnam    –    Knoxville, TN
Robert Miller    –    Dallas, TX
Rodney Burton    –    Valrico, FL
Stephen Tsitas    –    Ormand Beach, FL

Men’s Middleweights

Blas Montalvo    –    Hon Miqueros, PR
Craig Torres    –    Stoneham, MA
Dan Serota    –    Cincinnati, OH
Dveon Bender    –    Carlsbad, NM
Gaetano Cisternino Jr.    –    Fair Lawn, NJ
Jaime Rivera    –    Albuquerque, NM
Jeff Cook    –    Burlington, NC
Kam Gallman    –    Charlotte, NC
Lorenzo Jones    –    Dallas, TX
Michael Elgawly    –    New Port Richey, FL
Robt. Justin Swinney    –    Harvest, AL
Ronald Torres    –    McAllen, TX
Ryan Walters    –    White House, TN
Sacha Pasquet    –    Miami, FL
Wilbert “Bo” Lock    –    St. Petersburg, FL

Men’s Welterweight

Alejandro Garza    –    McAllen, TX
Alex Azarian    –    Sunland, CA
Daniel Rocha    –    Alburquerque, NM
Eddie Foster    –    N. Dartmouth, MA
Elie Neufeld    –    Miami, FL
George Maiorano    –    Henderson, NV
J B Bartlett    –    Lawrenceburg, IN
Jeff Olcsvary    –    Lafayette, LA
Jesus Martinez    –    Sabana Seca, PR
Jocelyn Jean    –    Boca Raton, FL
Joseph Frank Diaz    –    Casselberry, FL
Joseph Mobareki    –    Indianapolis, IN
Kent Bierly    –    Brick, NJ
Kevin Ofurum    –    Carrollton, TX
Mark Ritter    –    Cincinnati, OH
Martin Poupa    –    Redlands, CA
Mike Davis    –    Bonners Ferry, ID
R.D. Caldwell Jr.    –    Dayton, OH
Ralph Gaxiola III    –    Highland, CA
Robert Owens    –    Meridian, MS
Roosevelt Woodard    –    Thonotosassa, FL
Samuel Santos    –    Riverview, FL
Stephen Comella    –    Webster, NY
Stoil Stoilov    –    Bensenville, IL
Tom Silavanh    –    Opelika, AL
Tommie Robertson Jr    –    Maineville, OH
Travis French    –    Louisville, KY
Vincent Que    –    North Bergen, NJ

Men’s Lightweight

Bleu Taylor    –    Gresham, OR
Chris Groetsch    –    Kenner, LA
Gene Johnson    –    Stockbridge, GA
Greg Cosentino    –    Wellington, FL
Jabar Miles    –    Peoria, AZ
Joshua Katz    –    Tinton Falls, NJ
Kelly Bautista    –    Irvine, CA
Kelvin Moore    –    Rocky Mount, NC
Leonardo Racheco    –    Jackson Heights, NY
Marvin Ward    –    Trenton, NJ
Oley Atkins    –    Nashville, TN
Paul Aigbirior    –    Decatur, GA
Ray Douglas    –    Huntington Beach, CA
Steven Boswell    –    Canton, MI
Tim Sahr    –    Waterloo, IA
Tim Ward    –    Denver, CO
Travis Rogers    –    Levittown, PA

Men’s Bantamweight

Andre Hill    –    Dallas, TX
Arthur Santellan    –    Anaheim, CA
Daniel Stephenson    –    Port Saint Lucie, FL
Fernando Abaco    –    Rocklin, CA
Francisco Fontanez    –    Chicago, IL
George Gibson    –    Alpharetta, GA
Johnny McKnight IV    –    Winston Salem, NC
Magellan Damaso    –    Aiea, HI
Michael Echevarria    –    Casselberry, FL
Norman Sasnett    –    Anderson, SC
Paul Gillison    –    Rincon, GA
Rafael Campuzano    –    El Paso, TX
Scott Foster    –    Decatur, IN
Steven Reilly    –    Harlingen, TX
Timoney Fernandez    –    Virginia Beach, VA

If you live in the USA, then you know that today will be one of the biggest voting days in the history of the country. If you are an American citizen, then go vote, and be part of the process. Whether you vote for McCain or Obama, or vote yes or no on various propositions, just exercising your right to vote is important.

I took my son there this morning, and there were 25 people ahead of me, with six voting machines. The whole thing took 20 minutes, and it was fun!