posted Sep 12th, 2014 - The Advanced Class competition at the USPA Nationals 2014 uses the same dive pool and sequences as the Open Class teams. It is somehow the official "amateur championship" in the USA, even though several Open Class teams usually perform on the same scoring level, and the best recreational 4-way competitors join forces to compete in the Open Class with very impressive scores, as well.

Teams volunteer to sign up either in the Open or the Advanced Class competition. The USPA rules require only the winners of previous national championships in the Advanced Class to compete in the Open Class in the future. However, an Advanced Class team may have one member who has won in this category before.

For this year's USPA Nationals it means that the ZeBone members (Andy Honigbaum, Jan Lane, Kurt Disser, Sabrina Graham) can only compete together in the Open Class or join other Advanced Class teams as individuals.

USPA Nationals 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Advanced Class	G,9,C,P	F,5,15	1,E,8	4,M,7	H,N,B,O,3	14,20,L	Q,K,12,17	11,16,19	10,A,18	2,22,D	Total	Avg
1	ZeBone (US)	21	17	14	16	19	12	15	14	10	13	151	15.1
2	Dallas En Fuego (US)	21	16	14	13	19	12	12	12	12	11	142	14.2
3	Air Force Eufouria (US)	17	15	14	16	22	13	10	12	8	11	138	13.8
4	Dallas Khaos Black (US)	21	12	14	15	16	12	14	10	10	12	136	13.6
5	Dallas 350 (US)	21	14	14	17	18	12	14	7	11	7	135	13.5
6	Elsinore El Eminope (US)	20	11	12	17	15	11	11	12	12	12	133	13.3
7	Dubai Asaar Yellow (AE)	17	15	12	13	17	11	11	11	9	9	125	12.5
8	Air Force Conundrum (US)	15	16	14	15	16	11	13	9	11	-	120	13.3
9	Fallout (US)	17	13	10	11	15	10	10	10	10	8	114	11.4
10	Pandemonium (US)	12	10	8	12	12	8	9	8	8	11	98	9.8
11	Perris 4 Prime 8s (US)	13	12	9	11	8	8	8	8	8	8	93	9.3
12	Apicapulse (US)	10	7	9	10	12	7	9	7	9	8	88	8.8
13	Perris Bone Daddies (US)	12	8	10	11	11	8	8	5	6	8	87	8.7
14	Perris Red Whine (US)	10	8	9	9	11	7	8	7	7	4	80	8.0

To find out who might be in contention for USPA medals in USPA's Advanced Class it helps to check out the situation of the 4-way teams in Texas or the Air Force Academy lineups.

Dallas En Fuego finished in 2nd place last year and has not attended a meet this year. Team leader Scott Latinis has joined Dallas 350 who might be the top contender this weekend. Dallas 350 was very close to medals last year, and the 2014 scores in Texas are on last year's medal level.

Dallas Khaos Black is also still eligible for Advanced Class medals and has not posted any scores this year so far. However, Khaos Black has a very strong lineup with player coach Ari Perelman and might have an internal Texas race for Advanced Class medals with Dallas 350. The Air Force teams are always dark horses but have come very well prepared to the USPA Nationals in the recent years.