The first pro qualifier of the year comes to Charleston, South Carolina this Saturday with the biggest-ever edition of the Junior USAs. Nearly 450 competitors will compete, and 11 IFBB Pro cards will be given out. Check out the breakdown below, and a breakdown of who could leave South Carolina with IFBB Pro cards.
IFBB PRO STATUS AWARDED TO
– Overall Fitness Winner
– Top 3 in the Overall Figure
– Top 3 in the Overall Bikini
– Class winners (2) in Men’s Physique
– Class winners (2) in Women’s Physique
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
WHEN: Saturday, May 19
WHERE: Performing Arts Center
PREJUDGING: 8:30 am
COMPETITOR MEETING TIMES
– Fitness/ Women’s Bodybuilding/ Men’s Bodybuilding/Men’s Physique – 7:30 am
– Women’s Physique – 9:00 am
– Figure – 9:30 am
– Bikini – 10:00 am
PREJUDGING ORDER
*All times Eastern Standard
Fitness Routines
Women’s Bodybuilding
Men’s Bodybuilding
Men’s Physique
Women’s Physique
Fitness 2-Piece
Figure
Bikini
*Finals begin at 6 pm
BIKINI
CLASS A
– No one has been hotter than Lacey DeLuca in 2012, and she may not stop winning Overall titles until she gets her IFBB Pro card. Through three contests this year, DeLuca has three Overall titles – the Steve Stone NY Metropolitans in April and back-to-back Overall wins at the Pittsburgh Championships and the Eastern Seabord Championships the past two weekends.
CLASS B
– Kyrstyn Niespolo placed 2nd in her class at the Nationals and won her class at the IFBB North Americans
– Vida Guerra placed 3rd at the NPC USAs and 4th at the Nationals. She’ll have tighten up a little and improve her stage presence a lot to gain pro status here.
CLASS D
– Ashley Kaltwasser is riding an undefeated streak of her own, one that began at the end of 2011. She enters as the favorite in the class and one of the early favorites to gain pro status. Her streak includes overall wins at the 2011 Elite Physique Championships, the 2011 Natural Northern USAs and the 2012 Arnold Amateur.
– Kaltwasser’s biggest threat in the division could come from Mishon Shore, who placed 2nd in her class at the 2011 Nationals
CLASS E
– Can Whitney Wiser repeat as the Class winner from last year? Wiser, who also won this class at the 2011 Jr. Nationals, looks like the one to beat.
CLASS F
– This class could come down to a battle for Texas bragging rights between Adrienne Crenshaw and Brittney Layne. Crenshaw won her class in Pittsburgh two weeks ago while Layne placed 3rd at the Jr. USAs in 2011.
FIGURE
CLASS A
– Angela Coleman placed 2nd in Class A at the 2011 IFBB North Americans
CLASS B
– Phannary Pen was 2nd in Class B at the 2011 USAs.
– Michelle De Rosa won this class last year at the Junior USAs and returns to make it two in a row. De Rosa also placed 3rd at the 2011 Nationals.
CLASS C
– Hope Davis enters on a roll, having won the Overall titles at her last two contests, the Pittsburgh Championships and the Eastern Seabord. It’s Davis’ first time on the national-level stage
– TJ Wiltz has done well in Masters classes and has been top five in some national contests in the Open divisions. She did win the Open and Masters at the 2011 Bev Francis Atlantic States.
– Like Wiltz, Christy Seguin lhas also done well in Masters Nationals and regional competitions. Christy placed 2nd in her class at the 2011 Jr. USAs.
CLASS E
– Patty Zariello is another Masters competitor that has done well in both Open and Masters events regionally and on national level. She placed 3rd in the Open and won her Masters class there at last year’s Team Universe, won her class at the 2011 Masters Nationals and finished 4th at the 2011 Nationals.
– With top three placings in each of her past three national-level appearances, Allison Moyer is on the rise. Moyer won this class at the IFBB North Americans and placed 2nd at the IFBB Arnold Amateur.
– Krista Dunn placed 3rd at the 2011 Jr. USAs and 5th at the 2011 Nationals
CLASS F
– With three runner-up finishes at national-level events in 2011, Amy Puglise may be the most experienced competitor in the contest. Pugilese placed 2nd at last year’s Jr. USAs, Jr. Nationals and Nationals. She also placed 2nd at the 2010 Nationals
– Krista Dunn placed right behind Amy last year in this contest but was 5th at Nationals. If she’s improved since then, she could challenge for the division.
FITNESS
CLASS A
– Amanda Hatfield won her class at the 2011 IFBB North Americans and recently placed 2nd in Pittsburgh
– Babette Mulford has been a consistent performer on the national level over the past few years. Last year she placed 3rd in the IFBB North Americans and 6th at Fitness Nationals. In 2010, she won her class at the Jr. USAs
– Colorado’s Jacklyn Sutton is coming off an Overall win at the Emerald Cup in only her second competition. Jacklyn is is trained by former Fitness Olympia champion Carol Semple
CLASS B
– Lishia Dean has had her share of injuries over the past couple of years, but if she’s healthy she could be the one to beat in this class. Dean placed 5th at Fitness Nationals and 2nd at Jr. USAs last year
– Meredith Miller has been a consistent top 5 finisher in national level contests since 2010, including a 4th place at the 2011 Fitness Nationals and a 5th place at the IFBB Arnold Amateur
WOMEN’S PHYSIQUE
- Sheena Ohlig
– The first two NPC Athletes of the Month square off in Women’s Physique, which will be broken up into two divisions come show time in Sheena Ohlig and Lauren Lessnau. Ohlig enters as the name to beat, having won the Overall at the Steve Stone NY Metropolitans in March and has experience as a former figure competitor. Lessnau, who won the overall at the Northern Colorado Championships in April, is competing in only her second contest,
– Casey Daugherty is coming off a win at the Europa Show of Champions in April
– Former bodybuilder Britt Miller, who won the middleweight class at the 2005 USAs and placed 2nd in the Light Heavyweight class at the 2007 Nationals, made the switch to Women’s Physique this year and won the Overall at the North Carolina State Championships in April
MEN’S PHYSIQUE
- Michael Bevins
– Shadrack Hendricks placed 5th in Class B at the 2011 Nationals
– Eric Turner won the Tall and Overall at the Ronnie Coleman Classic in March
– Michael Bevins placed 2nd in Class A at last year’s Junior USAs and 4th in the Short Class at the 2011 Team Universe
– Karl Biermann placed 3rd in Class C at the 2011 IFBB North Americans
– Tony Robinson placed 4th at the 2011 Jr. USAs and 3rd at the 2011 Jr. Nationals
– LaVar Phoenix finished as the runner-up in the Short Cass at this year’s IFBB Arnold Amatuer
