posted Sep 27th, 2022 - The 4-way Beginner competition at the USPA Nationals 2022 was completed successfully for the second time, and USPA plan to integrate the new category into the national championships after two years as a test event.

As in its first year, the five teams were competitive. Once again, it was the 3rd place that was most contested for, even though the 3-point duel between Toxic Turtles and Rheal Dheal did not need an extra round to break a tie, as it happened in 2021.

Toxic Turtles had the advantage of one test meet before going to the national championships. They had competed at Skydive Spaceland's Pre-Nationals 2022 where they started with a 3.5 average. The slightly different lineup at Skydive Chicago followed up with 5.3 after the six rounds, which won the USPA bronze medals this year.

New England team SNE Gripswitch had the experiences of one previous 4-way competition, as well, even though it was only the SDC Cloud Games online event. Gripswitch improved the meet average by a point, and the 7.7 average earned the championship title in this category by seven points. It could have been much closer though, as Cinna Bun Syndicate in 2nd place had no video for Round 3 and had to compensate for the resulting 0-pointer.

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USPA Nationals 2022		1		2		3		4		5		6		Total	Avg
Rank	A Class	E,4		21,J		Q,C,8		K,F,A		6,H		2,8		Total	Avg
1	SNE Gripswitch	8		6	-1	5	-2	11	-2	6	-1	10		46	7.7
2	Cinna Bun Syndicate	8		5		0		12		7		7		39	6.5
3	Toxic Turtles	6		4	-2	3	-1	6	-2	7		6		32	5.3
4	Rheal Dheal	5		1		4	-1	6	-1	7		6		29	4.8
5	Toxic Ex-Girlfriends	4	-2	3	-1	3	-2	5		5		5		25	4.2

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SNE Gripswitch - Cinna Bun Syndicate - Toxic Turtles at the USPA Nationals 2022 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/InTime

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The history of USPA's new 4-way Beginner category, which is identical with the A Class rules and dive pool, began at the USPA Nationals 2021. Ten teams signed up for the event, and for the teams in the first four places on the final leaderboard it was only the beginning.

Anion Flux XP and CSC Constellation both were back this month for AA/Intermediate Class competition. They were actually still eligible for new USPA medals in 4-way Beginner, as they did not win in 2021. Anion Flux XP placed 2nd, and CSC Constellation lost the extra round for the bronze medals against the Air Force Night Fury lineup.

Both teams decided to move up to the AA Class dive pool with eight more blocks and longer sequences. USPA's 4-way Intermediate Class competition is usually featuring the largest leaderboard and the tightest competition all across. The participation was down in general this year, while the Intermediate Class was still the largest event with 16 teams. Anion Flux XP and CSC Constellation both finished in the middle of the group of teams who tried to make it to the Top 10 positions, and they were separated by only two points, after a 3-point difference last year. Both teams almost copied their meet averages of 2021 in the next higher category.

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USPA Nationals 2022		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Intermediate	H,13,19		1,L,K		O,N,22		14,Q,7		C,B,A,2		8,20		J,G,9		11,E,F		18,M,P		15,6		Total	Avg
1	SDC Rhebellion XP	10	-4	13		12	-1	12	-1	16		10		17		15		14		9		128	12.8
2	Cinnamon Roll Fight Club	10	-3	12	-1	12	-1	9	-1	12	-3	9	-1	13	-2	9	-8	15	-1	10	-1	111	11.1
3	Toxic	10	-3	10	-1	11	-1	7	-3	14	-1	10	-1	12	-4	12	-1	14		8	-1	108	10.8
4	Air Force Tall Boys	10	-1	11		11		7	-1	10	-1	7	-1	10	-1	12		11	-1	9		98	9.8
5	49 1/2 Fingers	9		10		10		7		9	-2	6		10		11	-2	11		7		90	9.0
6	Archridge FAM	9		9		10		8		12	-1	7		10		6	-1	9		7		87	8.7
G	Fouriners	9	-1	9	-1	11		7	-1	5	-2	7	-1	8	-4	11	-1	10		7	-1	84	8.4
7	Joanne and the Creepers	8	-1	9		9		7		10		7	-1	11		6	-7	9		7		83	8.3
7	Anion Flux XP	7	-2	9	-1	9	-1	8		9		7	-1	8	-2	9	-1	9		8		83	8.3
9	Air Raid XP	6	-3	9		11		9		9	-1	4		8	-1	9		12		5	-1	82	8.2
10	CSC Constellation	10	-1	6	-2	8		7	-1	9	-2	6	-1	9	-2	10		9		7		81	8.1
11	Air Force Artemis	8	-2	8		6	-1	6	-1	10	-1	5		10		9		9		6	-1	77	7.7
12	Pick me up before you go go	5	-2	6	-3	7		6		10		7		8	-1	9		8	-1	6		72	7.2
13	DeLand Pound Cakes	8		7		7		6		8	-1	5		8		9		5		6		69	6.9
14	Air Force PoisEN	5	-3	6	-1	7		6		8		5		2	-1	8		7		6		60	6.0
15	Frequent Fallers	3	-1	5		2	-2	3		6		5		4	-1	3	-2	5		4		40	4.0

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Anion Flux XP - CSC Constellation at the USPA Nationals 2022 - Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/InTime

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Anion Flux XP and CSC Constellation were competing with and against two teams of the Air Force Academy for the 4-way Beginner medals last year, winner Air Force Zorro and bronze medalist Air Force Night Fury. However, they did not have a re-match this year.

The same Air Force teams skipped the Intermediate Class this month and moved from the A Class dive pool in 2021 to AAA Class competition at Skydive Chicago. Night Fury finished in 6th place (12.6) on the AAA/Advanced Class leaderboard, Zorro in 12th place with a 10.7 average. The Air Force seniors in the 9-Ball lineup had to work hard to fend off the challenging Night Fury cadets.

The Air Force management still had once again a few new teams at the USPA Nationals, as well. However, they did not start in the 4-way Beginner Class this time. Three different lineups represented the Air Force Academy on the Intermediate Class leaderboard, where all of them collected their first competition experiences.

The Tall Boys lineup were in medal contention at their first meet in the Intermediate Class and finished ten points behind in 4th place. Most likely, Artemis and PoisEN could have been in medal positions of the 4-way Beginner Class. However, they joined Tall Boys on the Intermediate Class leaderboard in 12th and 15th place.

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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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