posted Sep 18th, 2019 - The 4-way Open Class competition of the USPA Nationals had one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the event. All the battles that the NSL News pointed out after the first seven rounds on September 16th turned out to live up to all expectations. However, the 4-way Open Class competition topped it off with an incredible thriller between Arizona Airspeed and SDC Rhythm XP.

The battle between the two teams for the U.S. top spot and the trip to Tanay next year even over-shadowed the historic achievement of guest team NMP PCH HayaBusa, who had their own battle only with the 27.9 average. They finished with the new record average of 28.9 and missed the 29-average benchmark only by a point.

The defending champions from Arizona had worked out a 2-point advantage after Round 7 with their new point Matt Davidson at the end of the first meet day. It was a 27.1 average after Round 7, which was almost on the performance level where the 2018 lineup finished in Australia.

It was still critical, as SDC Rhythm XP had used the 2019 season to close the gap as never before. The 26.9 average after Round 7 was the highest scoring level in team history, and a 2-point difference was everything but safe for Arizona Airspeed.

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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		25	-1	26	-1	25	-4	-		289	28.9
2	SDC Rhythm XP	US	41		22		21	-1	33		21		23		27		25		24		25		21	-1	262	26.2
3	Arizona Airspeed	US	40	-1	24		22	-2	32		19	-2	24		29		25		21	-2	26	-1	20	-2	262	26.2

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Arizona Airspeed had collected a total of five penalties in the first seven rounds, which was probably due to the short time period that the new lineup had together. SDC Rhythm XP lost only one point in the first seven rounds and continued with clean scoresheets in the remaining three rounds, while Airspeed gave up three points in Rounds 9 and 10.

The scores of Round 9 turned the table once again, this time to the advantage of Rhythm, who now went into Round 10 with a 1-point advantage. As usual, Airspeed lived up to the challenge and won Round 10 by the desperately needed one point to tie the game.

In fact, Airspeed almost won the competition in Round 10, and only another point deduction allowed Rhythm to force the defending champions into an extra round to break the tie.

SDC Rhythm XP now had a slight advantage. The sequence of the extra round was not fast and featured three blocks. Both teams would not be able to run away from each other.

Airspeed had to win, as the next step in the tie-breaking procedure would be the highest score for a round between the two teams in the whole meet. Round 1 had the fastest sequence of the meet, and Rhythm won with the 41-pointer.

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NSL-TV recorded the judging of Round 10 and Round 11 unfiltered, and the exciting drama of the race for the finish line is available for reviews.

It became even more exciting when both teams completed 22 points within working time, and the judges would have the final word. SDC Rhythm XP lost their second point in the whole meet, and Airspeed needed their 22 points to win the competition.

It did not happen, as two more point deductions reduced the Airspeed score to 20, and the highest score of the meet in Round 1 was not needed to determine the winner. SDC Rhythm XP had finally made their last step to the top spot of the USPA leaderboard and will compete for the U.S. delegation at the next world meet in Tanay 2020.

The USPA Nationals in 2006 were the last time that Arizona Airspeed did not win the 4-way Open Class competition. It was the year before SDC Rhythm XP competed for the first time at the national championship, with team founders JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz in the lineup. 13 years later, they eventually pushed Airspeed from the U.S. 4-way thrown, together with Doug Barron, Andrew Happick and Elliot Byrd on camera. Congratulations.