posted Jun 27th, 2011 - Last weekend's season opener of the Midwest Skydiving League was the second competition for the SDC Furies XP on home turf at Skydive Chicago. The Furies launched their 2011 season at the Shamrock Showdown 2011 and posted the next scores at the Midway Battle in Ottawa.

The scores at the MWSL June meet last weekend brought the Furies back to the highest scoring level that the team has shown in its 9-year history. They finished the 6-round meet with a 15.5 average, which ties the 15.5 average that the Furies had posted at the MWSL September meet in 2009.

The scoring progression of the 2011 lineup (12.6 - 13.9 - 15.5) is very impressive and promises a great performance at the USPA Nationals 2011.

MWSL June 2011		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	B,11,G,2	9,12,6	K,O,3,M	Q,4,N,19	14,F,1	7,5,D	Total	Avg
1	SDC Furies XP	16	13	19	15	14	16	93	15.5
Rank	AA Class	B,11,G	9,6	K,O,M,2	Q,4,N	14,F,1	7,D,19	Total	Avg
1	Peregrine	7	7	9	6	5	6	40	6.7
2	Angry Birds	9	7	8	8	5	-	37	7.4
3	Jetstream Tango	6	4	9	5	4	-	28	5.6
Rank	A Class	B,G,2	9,6	K,O,M	Q,4	F,N,19	7,D	Total	Avg
1	ArchRivals	5	7	7	5	6	4	34	5.7
Rank	Rookie	B,G,L	J,P,H	K,O,M	Q,C,A	F,N,E	D,B,J	Total	Avg
1	Multiple Scorgasm	3	3	4	1	2	-	13	2.6

The Furies of 2009 (Karyn Rees, Shannon Sweet, Rhonda Wilcox, Anabel Durham) won the USPA gold medals in the Advanced Class and had to move up into the Open Class competition. The new lineup of 2010 (Gosia Cienkosz, Sarah Lawrence, Karyn Rees, Shannon Sweet) included two gold medalists of 2009, which made the team not eligible for USPA's Advanced Class any longer.

The 12.1 average at the USPA Nationals 2010 came with the first competition in the Open Class and brought the 12th place of 14 teams.

Gosia Cienkosz, Karyn Rees and Shannon Sweet continued after the four meets of the 2010 season with Sarah Lawrence, and Rhonda Wilcox came back for the 2011 season. Last weekend's 15.5 average would have been well within the Top 10 at last year's USPA Nationals in the Open Class competition. It also brings the Furies much closer to the qualification level in the female 4-way category.

MWSL September 2009		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	N,2,M,H	E,4,14	9,L,B,D	Q,A,3,11	C,O,18,20	17,12,21	Total	Avg
1	SDC Rhythm XP	21	18	31	17	16	15	118	19.7
2	SDC Furies XP	18	13	21	15	14	12	93	15.5

It was not an extraordinarily fast competition draw that brought the Furies to last weekend's scoring level. In fact, three of the six rounds had memory, and only nine of the 16 random formations were in the six sequences. The 15.5 average of 2009 included two sequences with memory and 11 random formations.

Two other MWSL teams came back from the 2010 season. Jetstream Tango competed once again in the AA Class. The ArchRivals stepped up into the A Class competition after spending the 2010 season in the Rookie Class. The 5.7 average last weekend is still the highest average that the ArchRivals have posted so far.

MWSL Director Alan Butt reported that the weather stopped cooperating late on Saturday despite a perfect forecast. That's the reason why three teams did not complete Round 6. It was vice versa next day: "Ironically, the forecast for Sunday was awful, but it turned out to be perfect. Go figure..."