Justine Munro didn’t need a win at this weekend’s St. Louis Pro Bikini Championships to qualify for the Olympia. But, with two runner-up finishes already this season, she’ll head to Las Vegas breathing a lot easier after winning the first professional contest of her career on Saturday.
Entering the final weekend of the qualifying season, Munro sat in a four-way tie for second in the first-ever Olympia Qualification Series Standings – with eight points, it was mathematically impossible for her to not to qualify. In St. Louis, she managed to walk away with an automatic qualification and – by coming in the best shape of her two-year pro career – she set herself up nicely to make a run at her second top-10 (or higher) placing at the Olympia.
(Go here to see contest galleries from the St. Louis Pro!)
Rookie Ruthie Harrison placed second in an impressive pro debut. The runner-up finish earns Harrison – who won her pro card by winning her class at the 2012 NPC Junior Nationals – four points in the OQS standings. That moves her into a tie for fifth with Lacey DeLuca and is enough to qualify her for the Bikini Olympia.
Dayna Maleton (3rd), Jennifer Andrews (4th) and Marcela Tribin (5th) rounded out the top five.
So, after the final week of the Olympia Qualification Series Standings, here is how the top five looks:
1. Jennifer Chapman – 13 points
2. Dayna Maleton – 11 points
3. Marcela Tribin – 9 points
4. Taylor Matheny – 8 points
5. Ruthie Harrison – 4 points*
5. Lacey DeLuca* – 4 points*
*Both Harrison and DeLuca have 2nd place finishes, so both will qualify.
Go here for a complete list of Olympia Qualifiers!
