posted Oct 25th, 2016 - The 4-way competition at the USPA Nationals 2016 was completed without any surprises and extra jump-off rounds.

Arizona Airspeed still ended up with the highest outdoor average of the 2016 season, despite the slow last three rounds. The first seven rounds of the meet on Monday with three very fast sequences (47 - 39 - 37) had produced a 30.1 average, which was reduced to 26.5 by the 18-average of the last three rounds and still enough to beat NMP PCH HayaBusa's 26.2 average at the FAI Mondial 2016.

Mass Defiance defended the 5th place successfully against Arizona Alpha and came back only one single point short of the team's highest outdoor average (19.3) at the USPA Nationals 2007. Spaceland Lite upset Dallas 350 by two points and finished with the team's highest outdoor average.

USPA Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	20,D,E,22	M,9,5	12,8,7	H,L,16,15	F,A,N,J,17	G,6,3	K,B,Q,P,C	18,10,11	13,21,4	14,1,19	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	22(-1)	37	21	24(-1)	39	21	47	16(-1)	18(-1)	20	265	26.5
2	SDC Rhythm XP	23	35	19	19(-4)	28(-3)	19(-1)	45(-1)	14(-2)	17	19	238	23.8
3	Golden Knights	20	24(-4)	18(-1)	24	33	19	38	14	15	18	223	22.3
4	AARsPeed	19	28	17(-1)	13(-8)	28	17	33	15	15	17	202	20.2
5	Mass Defiance	17	23	17	16(-3)	28	17	33	12(-1)	14(-1)	15	192	19.2
6	Arizona Alpha	18	27	15	19(-4)	26(-2)	16	29	12	14	14	190	19.0
7	Perris Kiss	15	19(-1)	13(-1)	15(-1)	22	15	30	11	13	13	166	16.6
8	Alliance	14(-2)	21	13	11(-4)	21	15	25	12	12(-1)	13	157	15.7
9	Spaceland Lite	13	19	10	11(-3)	22	14	28	11	10(-2)	12	150	15.0
10	Dallas 350	14(-1)	20	13	17	19	8	26	9	11	11	148	14.8
11	Arizona ZULU	11(-2)	18	11(-1)	10(-4)	18	11	26	8	11	11	135	13.5
12	Bravo Zulu	13	15(-1)	9(-1)	9(-2)	16	12	18	5	7	8	112	11.2

The Bachelor Party lineup of the Air Force Academy were probably surprised by finding themselves in bronze medal position of the Advanced Class competition after a bad Round 9 for CSC Survival Instinct and managed to save the 1-point advantage over the finish line.

The 25-team field in USPA's Advanced Class generated the highest participation in the history of the event and in this specific category. The additional dozen of teams shifted from the Intermediate Class to the event with the more challenging dive pool. The total number of teams was slightly higher than last year (63 - 60).

Seattle Swift and Zhills Precision dominated the Intermediate Class competition in a similar way as Skydive Midwest Next did in the Advanced Class. The USPA gold medals are going to Florida, as Swift was not eligible. The three teams in contention for the bronze medals broke their tie in the last three rounds, and SCSL team Bangarang keeps the bronze medals on the west coast.

USPA Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
R.	4-way Advanced	20,D,E,22	M,9,5	12,8,7	H,L,16,15	F,A,N,J,17	G,6,3	K,B,Q,P,C	18,10,11	13,21,4	14,1,19	Total	Avg
1	Skydive Midwest NEXT	16	21	12	13	26	16	31	11	14	9	169	16.9
2	Ranch 2nd Generation	13	17	13	15	20	14	24	11	13	10	150	15.0
3	AF Bachelor Party	13	19	13	15	18	14	20	11	12	12	147	14.7
4	CSC Survival Instinct	12	20	11	14	23	13	23	11	7	12	146	14.6

The 8-way competition was launched as soon as the 4-way teams were done, and the event schedule has the meet director as the winner so far. The 8-way competition might be completed on the third day of the USPA Nationals if the weather continues to cooperate.

There is no serious competition for the Golden Knights, even though the lineup is not the same as it was at the FAI Mondial 2016. The U.S. Army team is competing without Larry Miller, who is getting his scheduled knee surgery out of the way, while Jesse Stahler has shifted to the VFS lineup of the Golden Knights.

World champion videographer David Flynn is now performing in front of the camera and has taken Jesse Stahler's slot. Kurt Isenbarger replaces Larry Miller who will be back as soon as he has recovered. Tomorrow's rounds include a very fast 8-way sequence in Round 6 (3,1,L) where a well-trained Golden Knights team could score a new world record...

USPA Nationals 2016		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Intermediate	22,O,8	1,21	A,E,Q,J	D,L,C,15	M,P,9	F,B,13	20,2	18,N,7	11,K,14	4,G,19	Total	Avg
G	Seattle Swift	11	11	23	15	24	16	13	13	11	10	147	14.7
1	Zhills PreciZion	10	11	20	14	20	15	11	12	11	11	135	13.5
2	SDC Rhemix XP	9	9	15	9	18	11	9	9	8	9	106	10.6
G	Napoleon Dynamite	8	7	13	10	18	12	7	9	9	9	102	10.2
3	Bangarang	9	7	14	8	15	11	8	10	7	9	98	9.8
4	Suffolk Sabotage	7	6	16	7	16	12	7	11	8	6	96	9.6
4	4GetAboutIt!	8	8	15	11	14	8	8	9	8	7	96	9.6