posted Sep 16th, 2019 - The USPA Nationals are in full swing, and there are once again many different battles happening at the same time.

The first one is on the very top of the 4-way Open Class leaderboard. NMP PCH HayaBusa have no direct opponent at Skydive Paraclete who can currently keep up with the 4-way world champions from Belgium. However, they have their own battle with the 27.9 average, which is still the highest one in Formation Skydiving history. It was posted first by Arizona Airspeed at the Mondial 2012 in Dubai, and then tied by NMP PCH HayaBusa at the FAI World Meet 2018 in Australia.

Three of the Airspeed 2012 members are in Raeford and may have to watch HayaBusa set a new benchmark with a 28+ average. The last three rounds are not really on the fast side, and the Belgians will have to show all their best technical skills to finish with a 28+ average. The competition draw is similar to the one in 2012, which was not as fast as the ten rounds in Australia last year.

Niklas Hemlin cannot protect or defend his own 27.9 average of 2012. Arizona Airspeed have their hands full with fending off SDC Rhythm XP who are closer than ever before at an outdoor competition, performing on the team's highest level. SDC Rhythm XP are now in the team's 4th year with the same lineup, while Airspeed have been trying to fill the gap after Ari Perelman left the team earlier this year.

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USPA Nationals 2019			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		11		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		7,C,H,P		J,21,20		O,3,11		B,2,K,E		8,Q,10		15,D,F,12		N,L,M,14		6,1,9		A,18,13		G,4,5		17,16,22		Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	45	-1	24		27		37		21		25		34		-		-		-		-		213	30.4
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	40	-1	24		22	-2	32		19	-2	24		29		-		-		-		-		190	27.1
3	SDC Rhythm XP	US	41		22		21	-1	33		21		23		27		-		-		-		-		188	26.9
4	Defiance	US	30	-1	21		15	-4	28		16		19		22	-3	-		-		-		-		151	21.6
5	Ranch 2nd Generation	US	26		19		19		24	-2	16	-1	17	-1	24		-		-		-		-		145	20.7
6	Lite XP	US	24	-1	17		17		22		15		17		20	-2	-		-		-		-		132	18.9
7	Kinetix	AU	26		18		17		22		13	-1	17		18	-1	-		-		-		-		131	18.7
8	No Name	US	22	-4	17		14		19	-2	12	-2	13		14	-3	-		-		-		-		111	15.9
9	Aviatrixx	US	21		14		13	-1	18	-1	12	-2	15		17	-1	-		-		-		-		110	15.7
10	Perris Force	US	20		13	-1	14		18		11	-1	11		18	-1	-		-		-		-		105	15.0

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The combination of SDC Rhythm XP performing at the team's peak level and Arizona Airspeed coming out of an emergency situation a few months before the national championships has created a very exciting situation. Everything is possible in the remaining three rounds, as both teams have exchanged highscores round by round. Only the winner on the USPA leaderboard will compete at the FAI World Meet in Tanay next year.

Niklas Hemlin is not the only former Airspeed member who may be witnessing a new historic record average at the end of tomorrow. Josh Hall was in the same 2012 lineup, and he is player-coaching Elsinore Elevate in Raeford. Josh Hall is battling with another Airspeed player-coach for the top spot in USPA's Advanced Class.

Original Airspeed and current Paraclete XP8 member Kirk Verner won the USPA gold medals in the same category last year with Savage XP. He is now guiding a new lineup, Redline, to a medal position. Josh Hall is still in the way with his Elevate lineup, who are battle-proof after attending several meets earlier this year.

Mark Kirkby also still owns the 27.9 record average of 2012. He is once again player-coaching a new Arizona Alpha lineup in the same Advanced Class category where Kirk Verner and Josh Hall compete this year.

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USPA Nationals 2019		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Advanced	7,C,H,P	J,21,20	O,3,11	B,2,K,E	8,Q,10	15,D,F,12	N,L,M,14	6,1,9	A,18,13	G,4,5	17,16,22	Total	Avg
1	Elsinore Elevate	23	14	14	22	15	17	19	-	-	-	-	124	17.7
2	Redline XP	19	17	16	21	14	15	21	-	-	-	-	123	17.6
3	Vega XP	21	14	14	21	14	13	15	-	-	-	-	112	16.0
3	SNE CenterCell XP	23	14	14	18	14	11	18	-	-	-	-	112	16.0
5	Air Force Shadow	20	15	13	21	10	13	18	-	-	-	-	110	15.7
6	Arizona Alpha	21	14	14	17	14	11	14	-	-	-	-	105	15.0
7	AZ Crime	19	13	14	17	11	12	18	-	-	-	-	104	14.9
8	Space Force BTR	18	14	13	18	11	11	18	-	-	-	-	103	14.7
9	Air Force Boomers	20	14	12	15	13	10	16	-	-	-	-	100	14.3
10	SDC Rhevolution XP	17	14	12	16	12	13	14	-	-	-	-	98	14.0
11	SNE Fly Girls	18	12	13	14	11	13	14	-	-	-	-	95	13.6
12	Chill: Bu	18	13	11	17	9	11	14	-	-	-	-	93	13.3
13	Perris Goldilocks and 4 Bears	16	11	10	15	10	10	12	-	-	-	-	84	12.0
14	Fast Break	15	10	10	12	10	12	14	-	-	-	-	83	11.9
15	TSC Cadence	14	9	12	14	10	11	12	-	-	-	-	82	11.7
16	Paragon	13	7	11	12	9	8	12	-	-	-	-	72	10.3
17	AZ Shift	9	9	9	13	9	9	10	-	-	-	-	68	9.7
18	Perris Section 4	15	8	9	11	8	6	10	-	-	-	-	67	9.6

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NMP PCH HayaBusa are not the only guest team on USPA's 4-way Open Class leaderboard. Kinetix are from Australia, and they are the country's new 4-way indoor champions. They will also try to win the outdoor championship in May 2020, which is the qualification event for the FAI World Meet 2020.

Rotor Out are the reigning Australian outdoor champions, who competed at the FAI World Meet 2018. Kinetix finished only 11 points (168 - 179) behind Rotor Out at the last national outdoor championship in 2018.

The qualification battle for the 4-way Women slot in the U.S. delegation for Tanay 2020 takes place at the bottom of the 4-way Open Class leaderboard. Aviatrixx from Texas and Christy Frikken's new Perris Force lineup are separated by only five points, and everything is still possible.

Defiance has better chances than ever to win the team's first 4-way Open Class medals, after winning the USPA Advanced Class gold medals in 2005. Ranch 2nd Generation are six points behind in the battle for the bronze medals. Defiance members Ben Liston and Brian Stephens compete for the 17th time in the same slots together at USPA Nationals...