posted Jul 29th, 2024 - The NSL News took a closer look at the A Class competition in the United States at the beginning of the month. The same 4-way category will bring teams together in the 4-way Beginner Class at the USPA Nationals 2024.

CSC Singularity had the lead with the highest average after the two meets that the Midwest Skydiving League team had attended by then. New scores in the month of July have been added to the NSL News leaderboards, and the A Class rankings have changed in the run-up to the national outdoor championship.

This time, only the highest meet average of each team defined the ranking positions, which reflects the current scoring and performance level better than the meet averages of all competitions that a team attends in the same year.

Texas Skydiving League team Toxic Intrusive Thoughts was in 6th place after the 6.1 average at the Cloud Games online event in June. Demo McDonnell's Toxic A Class lineup followed up with an 8.6 average at the Pre-Nationals in Houston, which is the highest meet result in the A Class this year. Fearsome Foursome of the Virginia Parachute Council also pushed the previous leaders, CSC Singularity and AirGo, to the positions behind the Top 2. AirGo is now ahead of CSC Singularity due to the higher meet average at their last competition.

USPA Nationals 2023		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Beginner	C,Q,4		L,6		N,P,B		M,F,K		J,A,21		E,O,H		9,19		G,8		7,2		D,O,K		Total	Avg
1	CitiZens	6	-1	9		10		18		8		16	-1	9		7	-1	9		11		103	10.3
2	XP Falcons	9	-1	9	-1	10		15	-1	9		12		8		7	-1	9		11	-1	99	9.9
3	Funderbirds	6	-2	8		10		15		8		12	-1	8		6	-1	8		8		89	8.9
4	Damage Report	7		7	-1	9		11	-4	9		6	-2	4	-1	4		7		6		70	7.0
5	Phoenix Pheathers	4	-1	5		8	-1	11	-3	8		2	-2	6		5	-2	6		5	-1	60	6.0
6	XP Born	6		6		7		7	-1	4	-1	9	-1	7		3	-2	5		1	-2	55	5.5

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CitiZens at the USPA Nationals 2023, Video footage courtesy of USPA/InTime

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AirGo happened to meet last year's A/Beginner Class champion CitiZens during a training camp at Skydive City last weekend. AirGo have been training at Skydive DeLand in the past and moved to the CitiZens' home turf for last weekend's training camp. The unexpected change created a reunion of the A/Beginner Class champions at the USPA Nationals 2023.

Three CitiZens of the original 2023 lineup, Fawn Fowler, Amaranth Aquarian and Brian Babernitch resumed their training with new member James Bartel, who has replaced Albert Etienne in the tail slot. The CitiZens of 2023 had bad luck in the middle of their preparations for the USPA Nationals when Amaranth Aquarian injured his back in training and had to withdraw for the remainder of the year.

Fawn Fowler, Brian Babernitch and Albert Etienne found west coast competitor Yekaterina Payeras to replace Amaranth Aquarian in his outside center slot, and the CitiZens still won the USPA gold medals with the highest meet average (10.3) in the young history of the newest USPA 4-way category. Albert Etienne left the CitiZens at the end of the 2023 season to continue with his own family team, his wife Kimberly Etienne and twin daughters Hannah and Rebekah Etienne. Kimberly Etienne could not continue due to an injury, and Jason King replaced her.

Reunion of 2023 Citizens and AirGo at Skydive City last weekend

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The three original CitiZens continued together as soon as Amaranth Aquarian had recovered well enough from his injury. They competed again in the AA/Intermediate Class competition of the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2024, with Danny Kraus filling the open tail slot for the event.

Rank	A Class U.S. Top 10	League	Average
1	Toxic Intrusive Thoughts	TSL	8.6
2	Fearsome Foursome	VPC	5.7
3	AirGo	FSL	6.4
4	CSC Singularity	MWSL	6.0
5	Waitin' On A Woman	FSL	5.4
6	Rowdy Butterflies	NCSL	5.3
7	AerOhio Resurgence	GLSL	5.2
8	Odd Man Out	SCSL	4.8
9	You Go First	VPC	2.7
10	Lizzard Nuggets	SCSL	2.6

Bad injury luck followed the CitiZens when USPA champion videographer Billy Colwell needed shoulder surgery this year. However, at least they had found a new tail for their 2024 lineup. James Bartel committed to learn the complete AA Class dive pool quickly, as the CitiZens have to move up to AA/Intermediate Class competition after winning the A/Beginner Class last year.

Billy Colwell will not be able to be back on camera in time for the CitiZens. Victor Pasichnyk is filming the team this year and through the USPA Nationals, while Mark Newton was substituting for him last weekend in training at Skydive City.

Al Etienne enjoyed more consistency with his family team than the CitiZens had, after Jason King replaced his wife, and Justin Bender has been on camera since April. Training results are showing that AirGo have also increased their scoring and performance level. Twin daughter Rebekah Etienne is approaching the total number of 100 jumps, and the team could be ready and try to defend Al Etienne's USPA Beginner Class title in September.