posted Feb 13th, 2019 - Phoenix XP, the U.S. national team in 4-way Women at the FAI World Meet 2018, was formed at the beginning of the 2017 season and had a 2-year plan. It worked out well for original members Christine Bruchac, Lauren Byrd, Amanda Lampton, Morgan Womble, and team videographer Elliot Byrd, who won the qualification for the world meet at the USPA Nationals 2017 as the highest placed 4-way Women team on the Open Class leaderboard.

The same lineup was back at the beginning of the 2018 season for their second Paraclete XP Indoor Championship where they lifted the 16.5 average of 2017 to 21.2 in February last year.

Bad luck happened at the beginning of the 2018 outdoor season when Morgan Womble's injury changed the team's training plans. However, former SDMW Next member Megan George was able to step in for the remainder of the year, including the world meet in Australia.

Phoenix XP was still able to maintain a consistent progression at the team's indoor and outdoor meets, and the final scoring level at the world meet allowed the U.S. team to be part of an exciting battle between four teams for the FAI bronze medals. In fact, Phoenix XP was in bronze medal position until Round 8. A slow Round 9 with two penalties then threw Phoenix behind Sweden's Team X who carried a 2-point advantage over the finish line.

FAI World Meet 2018			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Women		21,L,B,G		22,18,17		19,7,O		J,16,12		10,A,D,15		Q,M,F,C,N		H,20,P,13		6,14,11		E,2,5		4,1,3		Total	Avg
1	Aerodyne Weembi Girls	FR	29	-1	20		24		22		25		56	-1	23		18	-2	22		18	-1	257	25.7
2	NFTO	UK	20	-3	15		22	-1	19		18		38	-2	18		17		19		16		202	20.2
3	Team X	SE	17	-3	10	-3	18		16		14		36	-3	15	-3	13		18		12	-1	169	16.9
4	Phoenix XP	US	17	-2	12		17		14		15	-1	37		16	-1	12	-2	14	-2	13		167	16.7
4	Boomerang Betty	AU	19	-1	11	-1	18		14		15		32	-2	15		13		17		13		167	16.7
6	Fuzion Voltige	CA	17	-1	9	-2	18		14		15	-1	34	-2	14	-2	13	-2	14	-2	13		161	16.1
7	Skynamite	DE	19		12		16	-1	14		14	-1	27	-1	13	-3	12	-1	15		12	-1	154	15.4

Phoenix XP is now coming back for the 2019 season, and the team has plans for the next two years until the FAI World Meet 2020 in Tanay. The new lineup was officially announced earlier this year, and original members Christine Bruchac and Lauren Byrd were welcoming Irina Meshcheryakova and Sheryl Benner into their slots. Elliot Byrd will also be back on camera for Phoenix XP.

Irina Meshcheryakova started with Rookie Class team SDC Foursight in the Midwest Skydiving League 2015. A year later, she trained and competed with CSC Swift in the AAA Class and continued with the team for another year. She will take the outside center slot for the new Phoenix XP lineup.

Sheryl Benner is the new point for the team. She joined her first team Levity together with her husband Brian Benner in 2012, and both have been training and competing with the same team and changing lineups ever since. She started with Levity in the AA Class and has not missed the USPA Nationals yet after her first trip to Eloy in 2012.

She has attended several SDC Rhythm XP skills camps and eventually added 8-way training and competition to her agenda, too, where she trained and competed with all-female teams Octopussy and Blocksmiths. Then she even joined a 4-way VFS team and is in her second year in this event.

USPA Nationals 2018		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	J,19,K,22	P,13,A,E	H,G,Q,B,21	9,2,L	C,14,4	O,16,3	1,15,10	M,20,11	F,D,18,6	5,12,17	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	23	29	34	28	23	24	19	24	26	25	255	25.5
2	SDC Rhythm XP	20	25	33	26	20	18	17	21	23	20	223	22.3
3	Airspeed Odyssey	20	25	28	22	18	20	17	19	20	17	206	20.6
4	Defiance	19	23	25	21	18	21	15	21	21	19	203	20.3
5	Ranch 2nd Generation	17	22	20	22	17	18	15	17	21	19	188	18.8
6	Spaceland Lite	15	19	24	19	16	18	12	17	17	14	171	17.1
7	Phoenix XP	17	17	21	18	13	17	12	16	16	14	161	16.1
8	Perris Force	12	11	21	17	13	13	12	17	14	14	144	14.4
9	Spaceland Dallas 350	17	0	17	17	13	16	13	14	20	16	143	14.3
10	Victorious Secret	11	13	16	12	10	9	9	12	13	10	115	11.5
11	SNE Fly Girls	8	8	10	12	9	11	9	9	8	8	92	9.2
12	Spaceland Heatwave	9	11	11	6	6	9	7	7	9	9	84	8.4

Finally, the Phoenix XP opportunity came up for Sheryl Benner when JaNette Lefkowitz added her name to the list of candidates. She attended the try-out and decided to drop 8-way training and competition when she was eventually selected for the new Phoenix XP lineup: "I am super excited and ready to give it my all. My goal is to work hard and be the best asset to the team as possible."

The two new members have met each other briefly at previous events and will now spend a lot of time together. They will join forces in the front piece, while returning Phoenix members Christine Bruchac and Lauren Byrd are rear piece partners.

The new Phoenix XP lineup has plans for two years, and the road to the next world meet with the U.S. delegation has the USPA Nationals 2019 as a crucial stop. Phoenix XP had no competition in 4-way Women at the USPA Nationals 2017, which changed at last year's event.

Five all-female teams signed up for the USPA Open Class competition at the USPA Nationals 2018, including Perris Force with player coach Christy Frikken, who finished right behind Phoenix XP. Perris Force is back with a new and competitive lineup that the NSL News will introduce soon. This time, there might be serious competition for the 4-way Women slot in the U.S. delegation for 2020...