posted Dec 7th, 2024 - The 4th place of SDC Rhythm XP at the USPA National Championship 2024 was the team's lowest placement on the 4-way Open Class leaderboard since 2011. In fact, the progression on the annual national outdoor championships between 2009 and 2019 (6th to 1st) was flawless and perfect, while it has gone the other direction between 2019 and 2024 (1st to 4th).

The U.S. national 4-way Open Class team of 2020/2021 came naturally to their peak level when the lineup was most consistent between 2016 and 2021. Arizona Airspeed's lineup did not change at all since 2020, while SDC Rhythm XP went through several changes in the same time period.

Both teams were facing their next personnel changes this year, Arizona Airspeed following a well prepared plan, SDC Rhythm XP in an unexpected situation. Airspeed won the last national championship title in September and followed up with the gold medals at the 26th FAI World Formation Skydiving Championships. As planned, Niklas Hemlin and Mikhail Markine then retired, and the new lineup started with training this month. Rhythm had their most recent and unexpected personnel change shortly before the USPA Nationals, and it could not be a big surprise at that time that Rhythm finished without a USPA medal for the first time since 2011. Arizona Airspeed, XPG4 and Golden Knights were too strong opponents who came to Skydive Chicago with well trained lineups.

USPA Nationals 2024		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	K,P,H,19		C,F,20,N		M,O,L,12		G,6,3		17,7,10		A,21,14		18,9,4		22,15,1		11,13,E		2,16,B		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	35	-1	33		30	-1	24		23	-1	23		23		19		24		24		258	25.8
2	XPG4	31		30		28		20		18	-3	20		22		17		18	-1	21		225	22.5
3	Golden Knights	29	-1	30		29		20		21		18	-3	20		13	-4	18	-3	21		219	21.9
4	SDC Rhythm XP	25	-2	22	-1	25		19		20	-1	18	-1	17	-2	16		17		20	-1	199	19.9
5	RhEvolution XP	19	-3	21	-1	18	-1	16	-1	17		15	-1	17		13		16		15	-1	167	16.7
6	Rough Landing Strips	19		22	-1	19	-1	14	-1	16	-1	16	-1	17		13		15	-1	13	-4	164	16.4
7	Don't Run Into Anything	19	-1	18		16	-2	13	-1	14	-1	14		13		10		14	-1	16	-4	147	14.7
8	SDC Rhetirement Rhedux	18	-1	14	-2	17	-1	11	-2	11		13		12		10		11	-1	13		130	13.0
9	XP Furies	10		11		11		8		9		8		7		6	-1	7	-1	10		87	8.7
10	Perris 4ever	9		9	-1	9		7		7		9		6	-1	8		8		8		80	8.0

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SDC Rhythm XP at the USPA Nationals 2024, Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/InTime

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SDC Rhythm XP had to replace Keith Connor for the USP Nationals on a very short call. Keith Connor had joined Doug Barron and Chris Webb in 2022, together with Carl Kallgren and team videographer Charlie Mcgee. He trained and competed with Rhythm for three years without completing the 2024 season.

Steve Loufek became the new Rhythm point in 2023, replacing Carl Kallgren. Doug Barron, Chris Webb, Steve Loufek and Charlie Mcgee had to react quickly earlier this year ro replace Keith Connor. They found Greg Oldendick who was ready for the short call, after his years with Skydive Midwest NEXT, and with Chicken Bolts at the Shamrock Showdown 2024.

SDC Rhythm XP recently announced officially that Greg Oldendick has committed to the team for the near future: "We are pleased to announce that the team lineup from Nationals 2024 will continue forward into the upcoming season. With the addition of Greg Oldendick, and his shared commitment to excellence and a strong foundation of teamwork, we look forward to building on our success and pursuing even greater achievements." Doug Barron, who has gone through all the Rhythm lineups since 2016, including the 2nd place at the FAI World Championship in Tanay 2021, was happy to keep the lineup of the USPA Nationals 2024 together, while Greg Oldendick's Chicken Bolts team mate Ben Liston would have liked to continue with him, as the video clip is showing.

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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SDC Rhythm XP - Skydive Midwest NEXT at the USPA Nationals 2022, Video Footage Courtesy of USPA/InTime

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Ben Liston and his former Mass Defiance videographer Steve "Scuba" Feldman made clear that they were not too happy about letting their former team mate Doug Hendrix move on with Arizona Airspeed and now Greg Oldendick with SDC Rhythm XP. However, it seems like there was the influence of some adult beverage when the video was recorded, and Ben Liston will probably launch a new recruiting campaign very soon. There are even rumors of a potential Mass Defiance reunion event.

However, Doug Hendrix has started training with Arizona Airspeed, and SDC Rhythm XP is even slightly ahead, as the lineup at the USPA Nationals 2024 continues unchanged. The two former Chicken Bolts and Prison 9 team mates will be opponents with two of the U.S. top contenders in 2025.

Greg Oldendick was already showing after the short call for the USPA Nationals that he is up for the task. He was in the outside center slot in his four years for Skydive Midwest NEXT and had to replace Keith Connor as Rhythm's inside center. He knew the rear piece well enough to deliver the 19.9 average at Skydive Chicago in September., which was still his new personal outdoor record average. He was a Rhythm opponent in 2023, before Skydive Midwest NEXT discontinued after the USPA Nationals. SDC Rhythm XP's new lineup is already in full training swing and plan to be back in USPA medal contention. With the Midwest team returning to new and full strength, the USPA Nationals 2025 could become a horse race between four teams on the top of the 4-way Open Class leaderboard.