posted Aug 10th, 2023 - The NSL News reported a new lineup for Skydive Midwest NEXT on 17 November 2022. Returning NEXT members Greg Oldendick and Gorka Amian had recruited Katie Healy and Brian Nasset for the team's near future. They replaced NEXT founder Megan George and Lauren Byrd who had spent three years together (2020 - 2022) with the team.

Outside Center Greg Oldendick is now the senior NEXT member in his 4th year with the Skydive Midwest team. Tail Gorka Amian joined the team in 2021 and completes his 3rd year at the USPA Nationals 2023.

The new lineup has not competed yet at an outdoor event. However, the 6th place with a 24.0 average in 4-way Open at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2023 was a promising start, and the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023 will be a perfect test for the new lineup's first showing at the national outdoor championship.

Four of the U.S. teams on the indoor leaderboard in February (Arizona Airspeed, SDC Rhythm XP, Lightspeed XP, XPG4) compete in Voss, Norway, as well, and will provide insights of the situation three weeks before Round 1 at Skydive Paraclete XP. The three 4-way teams from Qatar, including the Tigers, FAI bronze medalists in Eloy 2022, will also be on the same leaderboard at the outdoor world cup.

Lineups of Skydive Midwest NEXT since 2015

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USPA Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	13,5,D		Q,9,4		F,14,C,10		H,L,20,N		18,22,19		11,J,E,8		6,7,K		G,15,12		M,2,21		16,A,P,O		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	22	-2	28	-1	24		30		18	-1	25		26		20		24		35		252	25.2
2	SDC Rhythm XP	26		24	-4	21	-2	27	-1	19		23		26		21		24	-1	29		240	24.0
3	Golden Knights Gold	21		26		20		25	-1	16		23		21		17		16	-1	25	-1	210	21.0
4	The Jets	16	-1	20	-1	18		22		14		17		21		16		19		24		187	18.7
5	Skydive Midwest NEXT	18		21		18		20		14	-1	18		20		14		18		21	-1	182	18.2
6	XPG4	16		19		15	-2	22		13		19		18		14		18		21		175	17.5
7	Elsinore Bullet	16		18	-1	17		20	-1	12	-1	18		18		14		18		22		173	17.3
8	Aviatrixx	13		16		14		12	-3	10	-1	13		13		10	-1	14		16	-1	131	13.1
9	Golden Knights Black	12	-1	12	-3	14		13	-1	11		13		12		10		13	-2	16	-1	126	12.6

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Skydive Midwest NEXT at the USPA Nationals 2021

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Skydive Midwest NEXT will probably distance themselves from Lightspeed XP who they ended up tied with at the national indoor championship in February. The other four 4-way Open Class teams at the USPA Nationals could be in reach for NEXT. Only Arizona Airspeed play their 4-way game on a level that is too far away for any U.S. Teams at this point in time.

XPG4, SDC Rhythm XP and Golden Knights are probably contenders for the medal positions behind Arizona Airspeed, and the results in Norway will show whether or not Skydive Midwest NEXT will become a competitive contender for USPA medals, as well.

Members of the GKXP8-way team (Jeana Billings, John D'Annunzio, Matt Davidson, Kirk Verner) had also formed a lineup for the 4-way indoor competition. John D'Annunzio, Matt Davidson and Kirk Verner would have to find a replacement for Jeana Billings though, who will compete with XPG4. GKXP8 member Andrew Happick is busy with RhEvolution XP, Jesse Stahler with the Golden Knights 4-way team. Only former Golden Knights member Andrew Starr could fill the slot for Jeana Billings. Any 4-way lineup out of the 8-way team would instantly become a medal contender in 4-way Open and increase the intensity of the expected battle for USPA medals that Skydive Midwest NEXT would like to be a part of.

USPA Nationals 2022			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		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	US	28	-2	32		23		26	-1	22		26		22		21	-1	35		23		258	25.8
G	Qatar Tigers	QA	23	-2	21	-3	20		23		19		23		18		20		29		19	-1	215	21.5
2	Hammertime	US	23	-1	26		16	-1	22	-1	18		20		16	-1	18		26		19		204	20.4
3	SDC Rhythm XP	US	23		24	-1	19		20		15	-1	19	-1	16	-1	17		25		18		196	19.6
4	XPG4	US	22		23	-1	17		20		17	-1	20		15		18		21	-2	16	-1	189	18.9
5	Skydive Midwest NEXT	US	22		23	-1	16	-1	19	-1	15	-1	18	-2	16		16		23	-1	17		185	18.5
G	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	19	-1	20	-2	15	-1	18		16		20		15		16		19	-3	14		172	17.2
6	Lightspeed XP	US	19	-1	19		14	-1	17		14		16	-1	14		14	-1	20		14		161	16.1
G	Qatar Lions	QA	16	-2	19	-3	15		17	-1	16		16		11		15		17		15		157	15.7
7	Spaceland Apex	US	17	-1	19	-1	13	-2	17		10	-2	17		13		12	-2	16	-3	13	-1	147	14.7
8	Corn Needs Butter	US	17	-2	15	-1	13		11	-3	10	-2	14		11		14		15	-2	14		134	13.4
9	SNE Fly Girls	US	13		10	-3	11		11		10		13		10		11		13	-2	9		111	11.1

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Skydive Midwest NEXT at the USPA Nationals 2022

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Skydive Midwest NEXT is looking back at a history of three years on USPA's 4-way Open Class leaderboards. The original lineup won the 4-way AA/Intermediate Class gold medals in 2015 and followed up with Advanced Class gold a year later, with Daniele Smythe in the lineup for Crystal Prom. The same lineup posted the first NEXT scores on the 4-way Open leaderboard of 2017 and finished in 8th place with a 17.3 average.

NEXT took a break in 2018 and 2019 and came back in 2020 with a new lineup. Original members Megan George and Chris Haslam now trained and competed with Lauren Byrd and Greg Oldendick, Elliot Byrd on camera. The USPA Nationals 2020 were canceled, and NEXT posted the next 4-way Open Class scores in 2021 with Gorka Amian for Chris Haslam in the tail slot.

The new lineup of 2021 - 2022 recorded two 5th places at the national outdoor championships, with 18.2 in 2021 and 18.5 last year. The 24.0 average of the new lineup at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2023 indicates that NEXT were on the same level in February this year where the previous lineup was at the beginning of their second year.

There is a very good chance that a reasonable outdoor progression this year might lift the new lineup to USPA medal contention in September. The upcoming scores at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023 will provide real numbers for a better preview of the USPA Nationals.

FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	Total	Avg
Rank	NSL Power Rankings 4-way Open		TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2	France 4-way Open	FR	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Qatar Tigers	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Papea	ES	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Amnesya	IT	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Airbus Illertissen Oceanside	DE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	SDC Rhythm XP	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	Skydive Midwest NEXT	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Agera	NO	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Out Of The Blue	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
10	Qatar Cheetahs	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Sequenz	DK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Lightspeed XP	US	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
13	Qatar Lions	QA	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16	Aurora	SE	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16	Chaotic Motion	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16	Whitefish	AU	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
16	Lux	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
20	Deep n Filthy	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
20	4Reigners	UK	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
20	4igami	NL	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-