Latona's Fab Four—and Other Big Wins of the New Season

Just six weeks post Olympia 2013, the 2014 IFBB pro qualifying season has been off and running for a month, with new champs and old benefiting from momentum and a current trend toward repeat wins. Here’s a synopsis of our story thus far, starting with the most recent contests.

November 2, 2013: Bikini’s Big Night

Sacramento Pro Bikini: Amanda Latona bounced back from a nice-but-no-cigar six-place finish at the Olympia once again to win the Sacramento—for the fourth consecutive year. Twenty-nine came to walk it front and back. Tawna Eubanks and Jessica Arevalo continue to be hot prospects.

1) Amanda Latona

2) Tawna Eubanks

3) Jessica Arevalo

4) Sarah LeBlanc

5) Noy Alexander

Photo: Amanda Latona. Courtesy of Ron Avidan.

Sacramento Pro Masters Bikini: The first pro contest for 35-and-over bikini pros, it will not be the last. No Olympia points at stake but lots of glory in this lineup of 16, especially for first-placer Noy Alexander, who also took fifth in the open.

1) Noy Alexander

2) Rosemary Valenzuela

3) Maureen Doherty

4) Lisa Kelly Valdez

5) Ronda Porter

Iowa Pro Bikini: Narmin Assria nailed her Olympia invite early with a unanimous win in this lineup of 12. Points for everyone else below, as always.

1) Narmin Assria

2) Lacey Deluca

3) Dayna Maleton

4) Crystal Green

5) Sandi Forsythe

 

October 27, 2013: Go East, Young Woman

Sheru Classic Pro Bikini: Ashley Kaltwasser proved that her upset victory at the Olympia over the established champions was not just a warp in the space-time continuum. The lineup was online six strong, but they are all up-and-comers.

1) Ashley Kaltwasser

2) Lacey DeLuca

3) Gemma Lynn Crosby

4) Stephanie Mahoe

5) Nicole Moneer

6) Jessica Renee

Photo: Did the judges pick Ashley Kaltwasser as the upset winner at the Bikini Olympia because she and her body are drop-dead gorgeous?

 

October 19, 2013: Four Shows Round the World

Fort Lauderdale Cup Pro Bikini: Speaking of bikini gals bouncing back, Jennifer Andrews sprang up from 15th at the O to take the Fort Lauderdale show in unanimous fashion. Nineteen hot challengers got onstage for this one.

1) Jennifer Andrews

2) Gigi amauro

3) Stephanie Mahoe

4) Noemi Olah

5) Jessica Renee

Europa Phoenix Pro Fitness: Oksana Grishina moved up to first after runner-up finishes to Adela Garcia at the Olympia and Tanji Johnson at the Arnold Classic Europe (see below). Afterward she said she was retiring her spectacular Joker routine to create something new (and presumably even more wonderful) for 2014.

1) Oksana Grishina

2) Bethany Cisternino

3) Amanda Hatfield

4) Whitney Jones

5) Ashley Sebera

Photo: Oksana Grishina, retiring the Joker in style.

Titans Grand Prix Pro Women’s Physique: Speaking of repeat wins—and bouncing back from the O—Sabrina Taylor, looking swell, whizzed by Tamee Marie and a strong lineup of 17 to earn the judges’ unanimous approval. It was Taylor’s second straight win at this event and a reversal of fortune after her 13th-place landing at the Olympia Women’s Physique Showdown, where Tamee, who was the runner-up here, finished several places ahead of her.

1) Sabrina Taylor

2) Tamee Marie

3) Nathalie Falk

4) Mindi O’Brien

5) Skadi Seiferz

Photo: Sabrina Taylor. Courtesy of RxMuscle.com.

EVL’s Prague Pro Bikini: Czech entry Vladimira Krasnova, the ’12 IFBB Amateur Bikini Olympia champ, earned her second trip to the big show by taking top honors in this lineup of six.

1) Vladimira Krasova

2) Anna Virmajoki

3) Nikola Weiterova

4) Michelle Brannan

5) Nicole Moneer

6) Ronnie Blewit

 

October 13, 2012: Two for Texas

Houston Pro Figure: Camala Rodriguez improved on her seventh-place Olympia finish to take a big bow in this lineup of 18. Even Olympia fourth-placer Heather Dees had to take a backseat to her.

1) Camala Rodriguez

2) Heather Dees

3) Krista Dunn

4) Dana Ambrose

5) Kimberly Sheppard

Houston Pro Bikini: Lacey DeLuca scored a big win in a big lineup of 19.


1) Lacey DeLuca

2) Tawna Eubanks

3) Dayna Maleton

4) Sarah LeBlanc

5) Ashriel Osgood

Photo: Camela Rodriguez.

 

October 12, 2013: It Always Starts With Arnold

Arnold Classic Europe Fitness: Tanji Johnson performed her best fitness routine in several years at the Olympia, and along with her polished presentation in the physique round, it helped her sail past Olympia runner-up Oksana Grishina to score a three-point victory at the Arnold Europe. A powerhouse lineup of 13 came to Madrid for this one.

1) Tanji Johnson

2) Oksana Grishina

3) Regiane Da Silva

4) Whitney Jones

5) Myriam Capes

Photo: Tanji Johnson.