posted Oct 3rd, 2007 - The scores of the winning teams in USPA's Advanced Class have been going up ever since this competition class was introduced at the USPA Nationals 1999 in Sebastian. Team Frost (Niklas Gummeson, Carlos Curtis, Sally Hathaway and Robert Healy, with Tony Hathaway on camera) won the first USPA gold medals in 1999 with a 13.6 average. Perris Aftermath (Michael Anderson, William Morrison, Piya Nava and Steve Saloman, with Donald Simonds on camera) won this year with a 15.8 average.

The 10-round average posted by Perris Aftermath in September was the highest average for any winning team in this competition class. Identity Crisis (Michelle Wenk, Robbie Spencer, Jim Rees and Dennis Rook) held the previous record average of 15.5 that they posted at the USPA Nationals 2001.

Mass Defiance finished above the 15.0 average level in 2005, as well (15.4) and had 2001 winner Jim Rees already in the team's line-up. Many teams in USPA's Advanced Class had the help of experienced player coaches over the years. However, the winning teams have only used external coaching since 2001 and recruited their own line-ups of an even experience level.

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The dive pool and competition draw of the Advanced Class is identical with the AAA/Open Class. There has always been a "grey zone" between USPA's Open and Advanced Class where teams of both competition classes are posting scores that seem to fit better into the leaderboard of the other category.

The NSL leaderboard does not identify the difference between these two AAA Class categories and always allows a closer look at how the results of all AAA Class teams compare with each other. Every year, the winner of the AAA/Advanced Class leaves several teams of the AAA/Open Class behind on the complete AAA Class leaderboard.

Perris Aftermath managed to beat three teams of the AAA/Open Class this year and ended up tied with last year's AAA/Advanced Class winner, Arizona Divewerkz. Team Twisted, on the very bottom of the AAA/Open Class, would have ended up in 11th place of the AAA/Advanced Class competition.

Arizona Divewerkz won the AAA/Advanced Class competition at the USPA Nationals 2006 with a 14.6 average and outscored three AAA/Open Class teams, as well. Guest team Kaktus Hunter, in last place of the AAA/Open Class in 2006, would have finished in 4th position of the AAA/Advanced Class field.

Mass Defiance won the AAA/Advanced Class competition at the USPA Nationals 2005 with a 15.4 average, which was better than the average of nine AAA/Open Class teams that year. Mass Defiance would have finished tied with Synchronicity in 9th place of the AAA/Open Class field.

Most of USPA's AAA/Advanced Class champions continue in the AAA/Open Class competition next year and even further. In fact, the USPA Nationals 2007 had the two previous champion teams of this class still competing in the AAA/Open Class competition.

Mass Defiance completed the second season after winning the gold medals and finished on the top of the current and former AA/Advanced Class champion teams (15.4 in 2005, 16.7 in 2006, 19.3 in 2007).

Arizona Divewerkz competed for the first time in the AAA/Open Class after winning the Advanced Class gold medals in 2006 and had almost exactly the same progression on a slightly lower scoring level (14.6 in 2006, 15.8 in 2007).

Perris Aftermath represents the newest generation of USPA's Advanced Class champions with the highest winning average in this category. Hopefully, the 4-way community will see scores of all three teams once again next year in the AAA Class events across the country and at the major events - together with next year's new challengers for the USPA Advanced Class medals.