posted Jan 8th, 2017 - Ranch 2nd Generation has impressed the Sun Path Products NSL News, audience and the 4-way community since the team joined the competition world at the USPA Nationals 2015.

The story on 7 December 2016 featured the team comprehensively after the 2nd place at the USPA Nationals 2016 in the AAA/Advanced Class. The same story mentioned that 2nd Generation has made plans for the 2017 season, and the first team scores of the new year were posted yesterday at SkyVenture New Hampshire's Indoor Skyfest, organized once again by original Mass Defiance member Ben Liston.

The Sun Path Products NSL News commented in the previous 2nd Generation story that the team plans for 2017 are not good news for all other Advanced Class teams in the U.S.A. It turns out that the young team launched the new competition season with another very strong statement, a 21.7 average after the ten indoor rounds.

New Hampshire 2017		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	C,9,L,18	6,A,3	B,F,16,N	7,14,G	15,22,E	21,J,20	Q,10,H,O	5,K,M,17	D,11,P,7	6,N,D,P	Total	Avg
1	Ranch 2nd Generation	24	19	28	23	17	17	20	22	21	26	217	21.7
2	Spaceland Lite	21	16	24	20	15	16	20	25	20	25	202	20.2
3	DeOrbit Burn	20	18	21	18	12	13	20	23	20	24	189	18.9
4	Scuba Defiance	20	17	25	19	11	4	18	25	18	23	180	18.0
5	California Crazy	10	12	19	14	11	10	12	16	12	18	134	13.4

The 21.7 average without a Super Sequence in the 12-foor flying chamber is very close to the highest numbers that other top teams have posted at the same event. Shmeland, usually the AAA Class top contender and multiple winner in New Hampshire, missed the event this year, and the team members have been some of the best and most experienced 4-way competitors in the U.S.A. behind the medal positions.

The 2nd Generation scores indicate very early that the team may have a new record average for USPA's Advanced Class winner in the works. SDC Rhythm XP's 16.9 average in 2008 and SDMW NEXT's 16.9 last year are the standing top averages in this category.

In fact, Ranch 2nd Generation could even end up on the scoring and performance level where the best unofficial U.S. amateur teams finish in USPA's 4-way Open Class. SDMW NEXT won the Advanced Class last year with a meet average that would have been the 7th place in the Open Class. 2nd Generation was already tied in 10th place on the combined leaderboard with a 15.0 average in October 2016, despite a Bow (H) standard exit.

Spaceland Lite, USPA Advanced Class winner of 2011, who have been competing in USPA's 4-way Open Class ever since, tried to offer as much opposition as possible to this year’s AAA Class winner in New Hampshire and still ended up 15 points behind. Spaceland Lite had Andre van Heerden in the lineup who replaced Devon Shows on Saturday.

2nd Generation came back to SkyVenture New Hampshire after a 24.0 average in January 2016. Terry Seaworth had filled in for Christopher Kuhlmann, and last year's lineup had signed up for the A Class competition. The complete lineup now skipped the AA Class and took on the AAA Class sequences, which include challenging blocks for a 12-foot flying chamber.

The complete lineup posted their first scores at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship in March 2016, a 20.5 average in the AA Class. Less than a year later, they have a 21.7 average in the AAA Class in the team records, which explains why 2nd Generation is still no good news for other Advanced Class teams this year...