posted Sep 23rd, 2022 - The 4-way Advanced Class leaderboard of the USPA Nationals featured the most exciting competition for the three sets of USPA medals in the traditional Formation Skydiving events this time. Four teams were separated by a total of eight points. Rhevolution XP won by four points, and AZ Alpha finished for more points ahead of SDC Rhuthless.

The competitive field between the medal winners and behind them becomes even more obvious with a closer look at the highscores round by round. The team in 9th place, This is Our Season, with iFLY Colorady Springs' Indoor Cloud League organizers Emily Bombardi and Eric Daniel, and former Airspeed member Ari Perelman as the player-coach in the lineup, tied one of the highscores in Round 8.

On the other side of the highscores, it is just as remarkable that SDC Rhuthless in 3rd place won the bronze medals without claiming or tying any highscore for a round at all. SDC Rhythm XP's Steve Lefkowitz took the player-coach position for Rhuthless, who had current Rhythm member and 4-way Open Class bronze medalist Carl Kallgren in their lineup at the August meet of the Midwest Skydiving League.

Steve Lefkowitz, silver medalist with SDC Rhythm XP at the FAI Tanay Mondial, created the foundation for the consistency throughout the ten rounds that eventually won the USPA bronze medals without a single highscore, and with a significantly increased (11.0 - 14.3) meet average.

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USPA Nationals 2022		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Advanced	G,9,M,8		P,3,O,E		7,13,18		B,21,Q,14		20,L,2		D,1,A,19		5,11,15		10,17,N		F,C,K,H,22		12,J,16		Total	Avg
1	RhEvolution XP	19		19		15		16	-1	11	-2	13	-2	12		13		19		14		151	15.1
2	AZ Alpha	20	-1	18	-1	14		15	-1	12		14	-2	13		11	-2	16	-2	14		147	14.7
3	SDC Rhuthless	18		15	-2	14		15		11	-1	15		12		12		18		13		143	14.3
4	CK Flying Dogs	16		19		12		13	-1	11		14		12		12		16	-1	11		136	13.6
5	Air Force 9-Ball	16	-1	15	-2	14		15	-1	11	-1	13	-1	10		12	-1	13	-2	14		133	13.3
6	Air Force Night Fury	15	-2	16	-1	11	-2	15	-1	12	-1	16	-1	6		7	-4	18	-1	10	-1	126	12.6
7	Elsinore Main Street	13	-2	15		10	-1	12	-1	11		14		11		9	-2	16		9	-1	120	12.0
8	Perris Bing Bong	15	-1	16		12		12	-2	11	-1	12	-2	5		10	-2	15	-2	11		119	11.9
9	This is our Season	13	-3	10	-4	12		14		9	-2	13	-1	9		13	-1	16	-1	9	-2	118	11.8
10	4s of NotSure	13	-1	12	-1	9	-2	13		11		10	-2	9		11		16	-1	11		115	11.5
11	Platinum XP	12	-2	13		11		11	-1	11		11	-1	8		10		14		11	-1	112	11.2
12	Air Force Zorro	13	-2	12	-3	10	-1	12	-1	9	-1	12	-2	7		11		12	-3	9	-2	107	10.7
13	Paragon	4	-6	9	-2	8		9		8		6	-1	8		7		10	-1	5	-1	74	7.4
14	La Playa	6	-2	6	-2	6	-1	8		6		3	-3	5		6	-1	5	-2	6		57	5.7
15	Tummy Team	6		1	-3	2	-2	4	-1	3	-2	4	-1	5		4	-1	5	-1	3	-1	37	3.7

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RhEvolution XP - AZ Alpha - Rhuthless at the USPA Nationals 2022 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/InTime

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AZ Alpha in 2nd place had once again former Airspeed 4-way and 8-way world champion Mark Kirkby player-coaching this year's lineup. Different AZ Alpha lineups with Mark Kirkby competed in 4-way Open in 2016 and 2017 (19.0 - 13.8) before he stepped down to 4-way Advanced Class competition and finished in 4th place (14.1) next year, then in 8th place in 2019. Christina and Mike Deglau, Ian Pedowitz, Mark Kirkby, with John Lyman on camera, now won the first set of USPA medals for AZ Alpha.

Winner Rhevolution XP did not have a player-coach in the lineup. Original team member and founder Chris Normandeau developed his changing lineups alone and with external coaching year by year, mostly with XP8 members Brian Krause and Andrew Happick in 2022, before he was finally rewarded with USPA gold medals.

The Rhevolution update on May 9th provided an overview of the team's and Chris Normandeau's progress with the project over the years. The same NSL News update introduced the 2022 lineup and predicted that Rhevolution XP would be a top contender for USPA Advanced Class medals this year.

After stepping up into AAA/Advanced Class competition in 2019, the previous Rhevolution lineups started with a 9th place (13.8) and climbed up the Advanced Class rankings to 4th place (14.5) in 2021. Returning team members Chris Normandeau and Alex Bucevicius finally won their first Advanced Class medals, together with Christine Bruchac and Zachary Winoker, Radim Studeny on camera.

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USPA Nationals 2022		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open/Advanced Combined	G,9,M,8		P,3,O,E		7,13,18		B,21,Q,14		20,L,2		D,1,A,19		5,11,15		10,17,N		F,C,K,H,22		12,J,16		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	28	-2	32		23		26	-1	22		26		22		21	-1	35		23		258	25.8
2	Hammertime	23	-1	26		16	-1	22	-1	18		20		16	-1	18		26		19		204	20.4
3	SDC Rhythm XP	23		24	-1	19		20		15	-1	19	-1	16	-1	17		25		18		196	19.6
4	XPG4	22		23	-1	17		20		17	-1	20		15		18		21	-2	16	-1	189	18.9
5	Skydive Midwest NEXT	22		23	-1	16	-1	19	-1	15	-1	18	-2	16		16		23	-1	17		185	18.5
6	Lightspeed XP	19	-1	19		14	-1	17		14		16	-1	14		14	-1	20		14		161	16.1
7	RhEvolution XP	19		19		15		16	-1	11	-2	13	-2	12		13		19		14		151	15.1
8	Spaceland Apex	17	-1	19	-1	13	-2	17		10	-2	17		13		12	-2	16	-3	13	-1	147	14.7
9	AZ Alpha	20	-1	18	-1	14		15	-1	12		14	-2	13		11	-2	16	-2	14		147	14.7
10	SDC Rhuthless	18		15	-2	14		15		11	-1	15		12		12		18		13		143	14.3
11	CK Flying Dogs	16		19		12		13	-1	11		14		12		12		16	-1	11		136	13.6
12	Corn Needs Butter	17	-2	15	-1	13		11	-3	10	-2	14		11		14		15	-2	14		134	13.4
13	Air Force 9-Ball	16	-1	15	-2	14		15	-1	11	-1	13	-1	10		12	-1	13	-2	14		133	13.3
14	Air Force Night Fury	15	-2	16	-1	11	-2	15	-1	12	-1	16	-1	6		7	-4	18	-1	10	-1	126	12.6
15	Elsinore Main Street	13	-2	15		10	-1	12	-1	11		14		11		9	-2	16		9	-1	120	12.0
16	Perris Bing Bong	15	-1	16		12		12	-2	11	-1	12	-2	5		10	-2	15	-2	11		119	11.9
17	This is our Season	13	-3	10	-4	12		14		9	-2	13	-1	9		13	-1	16	-1	9	-2	118	11.8
18	4s of NotSure	13	-1	12	-1	9	-2	13		11		10	-2	9		11		16	-1	11		115	11.5
19	Platinum XP	12	-2	13		11		11	-1	11		11	-1	8		10		14		11	-1	112	11.2
20	SNE Fly Girls	13		10	-3	11		11		10		13		10		11		13	-2	9		111	11.1
21	Air Force Zorro	13	-2	12	-3	10	-1	12	-1	9	-1	12	-2	7		11		12	-3	9	-2	107	10.7
22	Paragon	4	-6	9	-2	8		9		8		6	-1	8		7		10	-1	5	-1	74	7.4
23	Tummy Team	6		1	-3	2	-2	4	-1	3	-2	4	-1	5		4	-1	5	-1	3	-1	37	3.7

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Grey = Open Class, Yellow = Advanced Class

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This year's Rhevolution XP lineup now has to step up into AAA/Open Class competition at the national championships, where only Christine Bruchac has already collected her experiences with Phoenix XP. All other Rhevolution XP gold medalists have not posted scores on USPA 4-way Open Class leaderboards yet. Zachary Winoker had missed the Advanced Class gold medals with Elsinore Elevate by seven points (168 - 175) at the USPA Nationals 2019.

The combined leaderboard of 4-way Open and 4-way Advanced, with all teams who are using the same competition draw, is showing Rhevolution XP in 7th place, ahead of three 4-way Open Class teams. Only new team Spaceland Apex separated the three 4-way Advanced Class medal winners.

Three former USPA Advanced Class gold medal teams are lined up ahead of Rhevolution XP on the combined leaderboard, almost in perfect order. SDC Rhythm XP won this USPA 4-way category in 2008, Skydive Midwest NEXT in 2016, Lightspeed XP last year.

Shannon Catalano and Brandon Kashani came back for Lightspeed XP this year, together with James Hall and Matthew Hunt. The 2022 lineup would not have been eligible for Advanced Class competition and finished in 6th place in 4-way Open.