posted May 24th, 2012 - The last scores that completed the current overall leaderboard came from Lithuania. Equinox took the 1st place in the Rookie Class where two other teams from Florida had posted scores, as well.

Teams and competitors from the country in Northeastern Europe, a former part of the Soviet Union that declared independence in 1990, had observed and followed the activities of the international NSL Network for a while.

Rookie Class team Equinox eventually prepared the participation by committing FAI Judge Jurate Janusauskiene to help the team's entry last weekend.

Equinox, and hopefully a few other linups from Lithuania, will come back with more scores on three additional meet weekends this year.

May 19th, 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Total	Avg
Rank	Rookie	P,A,G	D,B,L	O,C,K	F,Q,E	N,M,P	H,J,D	A,L,M	G,L,O	Total	Avg
1	Equinox (LT)	9	11	6	9	13	10	8	6	72	9.0
2	Miami Oh Si (US)	3	5	6	-	-	-	-	-	14	4.7
3	SOCOM Commandos (US)	2	2	3	0	-	-	-	-	7	1.8

Last weekend's meet wasn't even the Rookie Class team's first competition this year. Equinox had also attended the World Challenge 2012. The 14.1 indoor average after ten rounds placed the Lithuanian team 4th on the Rookie Class leaderboard in Bedford.

Center Inside Algimantas Skuodis said that it was now interesting for the team to compare their own scores at both meets with each other. However, Equinox enjoyed the new additional outdoor competition, and the team hopes to improve the scoring level after "working on lots of things we need to polish till next meet". The two other Rookie Class teams from Florida could not keep up with the Lithuanian pace.

World Challenge 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	Rookie	M,B,O	H,C,J	Q,G,E	D,K,N	P,L,A	F,P,Q	G,C,D	L,H,E	M,B,F	K,N,O	Total	Avg
1	Blue Rebels Family (GR)	24	12	15	13	19	27	14	20	34	15	193	19.3
1	Fiasco (UK)	21	21	15	13	17	23	13	19	36	15	193	19.3
3	Ellens Flyboys (NO)	17	15	8	11	12	17	13	11	27	13	144	14.4
4	Equinox (LT)	22	9	11	6	12	20	11	13	25	12	141	14.1

Equinox is not the first team from Lithuania that has attended international meets. Magic 4 posted a 10.2 average for Lithuania at the World Meet 2006 and came back with a 13.1 average at the World Cup 2007 in Russia.

Magic 4 then competed for the first time at the World Challenge in 2008 (18.2) and finished in the middle of the 24-team field with a 15.8 average at the World Meet 2008. The team's second attendance at the World Challenge 2009 brought a 17.1 average, followed by a 14.8 average at the World Cup 2009 in the Czech Republic. Magic 4 added one more World Challenge with a 17.6 average in 2010 but did not make the trip to Menzelinsk in Russia for the World Meet and did not come back in 2011.

Equinox may become the new Lithuanian team to represent the country at the international meets. The Rookie Class competition is where it all begins...