posted Jan 27th, 2011 - There are actually only two teams in the female 4-way category that have ever scored a higher meet average than 20.0 at an outdoor competition. The French national team Aerokart Deep Blue did it three times. The first time was the 20.4 average at the World Cup 2009 in Prostejov after a 10-round meet. Sophie Deremaux, Bérangère Duplouy, Françoise Simons-Hamouchi and Amélie Tirman followed up with a 20.1 average after ten rounds at the FSL Shamrock Showdown 2010.

The 23.6 average at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving 2010 was a new record mark for the female 4-way category, and the same lineup did it again at the Dubai Championship 2011 with a 21.1 average after eight rounds.

The British Team Bodyflight (Tarnya Hollis, Amanda Kemp, Liz Matthews, Sarah Smith-Cannon) did the same at the World Meet 2010 in Menzelinsk with a 21.6 average. Another UK lineup (Hannah Betts, Claire Scott, Sarah Smith-Conan, Kate Stephens) had touched the benchmark for the first time at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge with a 20.0 average after only six rounds.

It was the same year when the US female team Fastrax Blue had posted a 20.0 average after six faster rounds at the Shamrock Showdown 2008. Fastrax Blue (Becky Broccato, Erin Murphy, Brianne Thompson), with Perris Fury's Center Outside Christy Frikken filling in as the Point for Kelley Fredrickson, then finished with a 19.8 average after the same six rounds in Maubeuge, one single pount behind Bodyflight Storm.

That was the last time that a US team came close to the 20.0 average benchmark before the Dubai Championship 2011. Spaceland Blue had the highest average of any female lineups at the USPA Nationals 2009 and qualified for the World Meet 2010. The team then won the bronze medals with an 18.8 average in Menzelinsk.

The recent 20.0 average by Alpha Armada in Dubai brings a US team back to the 20-average level and was once again pushed by Christy Frikken. The 20.0 average after eight rounds is still the highest meet average of a female US lineup but weighs heavier than the 20.0 average after six rounds in 2008.

Jan 7th, 2011			Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7	Round 8	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class		P,17,18	M,N,F,3	H,A,6,B	Q,1,C,14	4,10,15	16,O,J,22	K,2,E,11	G,9,8	Total	Avg
1	France Aerodyne Cypres	News	20	26	28	20	15	19	20	21	169	21.1
2	USA Alpha Armada	News	17	26	30	17	14	19	18	19	160	20.0
3	Russia Illusions	News	16	21	22	15	9	17	17	17	134	16.8
4	Spain Empuria Gatas	News	11	14	13	10	10	12	11	10	91	11.4
5	Denmark Lady Vikings	News	8	13	12	11	9	11	10	11	85	10.6
6	Canada	News	4	9	8	0	2	7	6	6	42	5.3

It was not only Christy Frikken who helped bringing the performance and scoring level up to the magic 20.0 average in Dubai.

Alpha Armada member Hannah Betts was in the British lineup that won the gold medals in Maubeuge 2008 with a 20.0 average.

Becky Brocato also had her own 20-average experience at the Shamrock Showdown 2008. Only Armada member Annaliese Peterson had never touched the 20-average benchmark before Dubai 2011.

She came close with her former team Arizona Divewerkz and a 19.0 average at the USPA Nationals 2008, but the 20.0 average had to wait until January 2011.

Christy Frikken and Becky Brocato competed together at the World Meet 2008 in Maubeuge where they outscored the same French national team that would win the gold medals two years later. The Deep Blue linup was still too strong in Dubai to allow a similar upset.

Annie Peterson had joined Spaceland Blue in 2009 and has spent some training time together with Becky Brocato. They posted a 16.6 average at the USPA Nationals 2009, with Erin Murphy and Brianne Thompson in the lineup. Annie Peterson and Becky Brocato both accepted player coach positions in 2010 and joined forces again for the Alpha Armada trip to Dubai.

It was a successful trip, which was rewarded with the 20.0 average and $15,000 cash for the 2nd place. Now it will be time again to put together a lineup that can qualify at the USPA Nationals 2011 as the US female team for the World Meet 2012. Christy Frikken is obviously not available, while Hannah Betts will most likely be glad to accept a slot.

The NSL News has no information yet of the candidates for the open 4th slot. That is, of course, only the case if the 3-way from Dubai decides to stay together. The next goals for a US female lineup are on hand. The 20-average benchmark needs to be left behind in a 10-round meet. There are enough opportunities coming this year. The Shamrock Showdown 2011 is a good one, as the new French lineup will attend the team's first outdoor competition in March.