posted Dec 30th, 2014 - The Sun Path Products NSL News reported the exciting battle for this year's USPA Advanced Class gold medals with the story on 14 October 2014.

The same story mentioned that the Dallas 350 road to the gold medals began earlier. Ron Hill, Lucas King and Scott Levy connected first in 8-way, with the Dallas teams Rogue and Fusion. Then they formed Dallas 350 for the 2013 season, and Solly Williams filled an open slot at the USPA Nationals.

The 5th place For Dallas 350 in 2013 turned into the 1st place this year, with exactly the same winning average (15.1) that the previous Advanced Class winner ZeBone had posted. ZeBone did not come back this year, while Dallas 350 has made new plans for the 2015 season.

USPA Nationals 2014		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA/Advanced Class	L,F,3,D	8,C,Q,A	9,G,11	P,1,B,H	16,N,15	6,K,J,19	13,14,17	4,O,20	21,10,22	7,2,12	Total	Avg
1	Dallas 350 (US)	18	17	17	20	14	16	11	12(-1)	13	13	151	15.1
2	Misfits (US)	18	17	16	20	13	14(-2)	10(-1)	14	9	13	144	14.4
3	Dallas Khaos Black (US)	17	14	15	19	11	14	9	13	11	11	134	13.4

It will not be the same Dallas 350 lineup that continues and has to compete in the Open Class at the USPA Nationals 2015. Lucas King, Scott Levy and Scott Latinis will come back, while Ron Hill has different plans for the near future.

iFLY Dallas' "Flightmare Before Christmas" indoor competition was the last meet for Ron Hill with 350. He had bought an aerobatic plane in 2013 and started to compete in his new event. The 2nd place at the "Fall Sebring 2013" won him over, and he purchased a second more capable aerobatic plane to focus on training and competition. He lives in South Florida and had to travel to Dallas every other week to train with 350:

"While I would have loved to continue, I have been traveling to Dallas to support teams either as a player or as a coach since 2009 – And I have not lived there since 2009 - I need a break."

USPA Nationals 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA/Advanced Class	G,9,C,P	F,5,15	1,E,8	4,M,7	H,N,B,O,3	14,20,L	Q,K,12,17	11,16,19	10,A,18	2,22,D	Total	Avg
1	ZeBone	21	17	14	16	19	12	15	14	10	13	151	15.1
2	Dallas En Fuego	21	16	14	13	19	12	12	12	12	11	142	14.2
3	Air Force Eufouria	17	15	14	16	22	13	10	12	8	11	138	13.8
4	Dallas Khaos Black	21	12	14	15	16	12	14	10	10	12	136	13.6
5	Dallas 350	21	14	14	17	18	12	14	7	11	7	135	13.5

Dallas 350 had a very successful 2014 season, which makes it easier for Ron Hill to step back. The 350 gold medal lineup celebrated the 2014 season before the indoor competition in December, which was not allowed during training and competition throughout the year, as team member Scott Levy said jokingly at the beginning of the party night:

"Ron's kind of a dick, he would not let us get drunk on training nights. Of course, the one night we did hang out a bit too long the next day's training did suffer. Nah, he is still a dick..."

The team took Friday off, as planned, to regroup from the night before and then showed up bright and early on Saturday for the tunnel competition, where they finished in 1st place with an 18.3 average. Another coaching exception surprised the 350 members at the fun meet. Ron Hill allowed the team to prepare for the competition sequences without using the creepers...

Skydive Dallas will continue to support the team, and the 3-way has a new member and new plans for 2015.

National judge Jim Rees has joined Dallas 350. He is a very experienced 4-way competitor and has won USPA's Advanced Class competition twice, once in 2001 (15.5) with Identity Crisis and again in 2005 (15.4) with Mass Defiance.

Mass Defiance also moved on to the Open Class competition and eventually posted the unofficial US amateur record average of 19.3 at the USPA Nationals 2007. It took five years until DNR finally scored higher at the UPSA Nationals 2012.

Dallas 350 has aggressive plans for 2015, and the support by Skydive Dallas and iFLY Dallas will help to keep moving the team in the right direction, as leaving member Ron Hill said:

"If 2014 was any indication, 2015 should be one to watch..."