posted Feb 25th, 2017 - The first day of the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2017 is over for the 4-way teams after the completion of seven rounds.

Arizona Airspeed's first scores are posted, and SDC Rhythm XP starts the 2017 season on eye level.

In fact, Rhythm is three points ahead after Round 7 and has also completed four additional formations within working time (193 - 187) that the judges did not accept.

Airspeed had to digest the worst start that a new lineup can have before getting serious. Rhythm was seven points ahead after Round 1, caused by a serious loss of time with an early brainlock.

However, Airspeed came back with vengeance and claimed or tied five consecutive highscores - until the next 3-point loss in Round 7.

Paraclete XP Indoor 2017		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	7,20,G	17,J,4	10,16,B	12,F,D,E	O,P,22,19	K,N,6,15	3,14,M	C,1,21	13,2,L	9,18,8	Total	Avg
1	XP4	27	28(-1)	24	30(-1)	27	27(-1)	26	-	-	-	189	27.0
2	SDC Rhythm XP	28	25(-2)	25(-1)	30(-1)	27	27(-1)	26	-	-	-	188	26.9
3	Arizona Airspeed	21(-2)	29	25	31	27	29	23	-	-	-	185	26.4
4	GK Gold	26(-2)	26(-2)	25	31	20(-3)	28(-1)	25	-	-	-	181	25.9
5	R2G	22(-1)	23	18(-2)	25(-1)	21(-1)	24	19	-	-	-	152	21.7

The interesting aspect of the roller-coaster event through Round 7 is not the fact that Airspeed recovered quickly and then patiently worked the way back up to a tie with Rhythm after Round 6. The audience is used to Airspeed's persistence on the top level.

It was encouraging for Rhythm to still be able to keep up when Airspeed's recovery energy brought both teams back close together. Rhythm's own consistency was eventually rewarded with the 3-point lead after Round 7. The audience can probably begin to look forward to enjoying a very exciting 2017 season.

Even more interesting is the fact that neither of the two U.S. 4-way top teams is currently in the lead. Paraclete XP's home team, with former 4-way world champions Kirk Verner and Thomas Hughes, 8-way world champion Brian Krause and host John D'Annunzio, are in 1st place with a 1-point lead.

XP's lead after Round 7 is even more impressive considering the fact that all team members are competing and player coaching in three additional teams, 4-way AA/Intermediate and both 8-way categories.

That's not enough for Kirk Verner and Brian "BK" Krause who are also judging at the same time, and the scores are posted faster than at any other events. That's no big surprise, as they really don't have much time to look at the videos too often. John D'Annunzio is running the meet next to his four teams and while his XP team mates are in the judging room.

The Golden Knights Gold lineup is going on the same pace as the other three top teams and has just been losing too many points. Last and not least, it is not even a big surprise any longer that Ranch 2nd Generation (R2G) is next after the 30-point gap behind the top teams. Last year's USPA Advanced Class winner SDMW NEXT XP does not even seem to have a chance any longer against the runner-up in Eloy...