posted Aug 31st, 2012 - This past Saturday Skydive Chicago hosted the fourth and final Midwest Skydiving League meet of the 2012 season. It was a beautiful morning with great jumping conditions, and six teams came to take advantage of it.

Three of those teams registered for the AA Class, and they were all welcomed by a slow competition draw. The Hawks were joined by new team SDC Edge and veterans Jetstream Tango, back for their fourth season of MWSL competition.

Despite a costly video problem in Round 1, Tango gave the Hawks a run for their money, but finished 2nd by three points in the weather shortened meet. Edge finished third with a 4-point average. The Hawks won one of two MWSL meet prizes and chose a set of free jumps at Skydive Chicago. The Hawks also won trophies and a set of NSL Gloves for winning the MWSL 2012 title in the AA Class. Best of luck to them, as well as any other MWSL teams, at the USPA Nationals in Eloy.

The Rookie Class had two teams: MWSL regulars ReRivals and the first ever team from Wisconsin’s Skydive Midwest, the Hot Hands.

Hot Hands had an impressive debut, scoring almost a 5-point average, but the ReRivals continued their high performance level from last meet and won this class with a 6-point average. Their performance earned them both a meet prize ($100 off a SDC Rhythm XP tunnel camp) and another XP Challenge award of $100 off tunnel time at Paraclete XP in Raeford.

As if that weren’t enough, the ReRivals also took home trophies and an additional Rhythm tunnelcamp prize as the MWSL 2012 Rookie Class champions. All this with a Tail, Patrick MacCaffray, with under 100 jumps. The Skydive Midwest team stll didn’t go home empty-"handed". Steve and JaNette Lefkowitz awarded them the Coaches’ Choice award for their great attitudes and competitiveness.

August 25th, 2012		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total	Avg
Rank	AA Class	13,4	M,14,K	1,6	2,P,O	15,11	Total	Avg
1	Hawks (US)	6	8	7	5	-	26	6.5
2	SDC Jetstream Tango	0	9	6	8	-	23	5.8
3	SDC Edge (US)	4	3	5	4	4	20	4.0
Rank	A Class	4,O	M,K,8	6,N	2,P	19,9	Total	Avg
1	SDC Flow (US)	6	7	5	8	6	32	6.4
Rank	Rookie	O,C,A	M,K,J	N,E,Q	P,H,G	L,M,K	Total	Avg
1	Skydive Midwest Hot Hands (US)	6	3	5	5	6	25	5.0
2	ReRivals (US)	8	5	7	4	-	24	6.0

MWSL Director Alan Butt reported that the remaining team was JaNette’s player/coach A Class team SDC Flow, including two members of a pickup team at an earlier meet, Joined at the Grip. Making their competitive debut, Flow scored an impressive 6.5 average.

The meet ended early due to increasingly high and turbulent winds. Alan Butt gave kudos to Kerry Schwartz and Skydive Chicago: "We've probably experienced the best paced manifesting. This enabled us to four full rounds in before conditions became unacceptable."

SDC Rhythm XP member Steve Lefkowitz served as the meet coach, offering debriefs as well as pre-jump coaching to the MWSL teams. Steve and JaNette Lefkowitz both also used the wind hold to offer impromptu seminars on individual skydiving skills and block techniques.

The last MWSL competition in 2012 was also the last meet for Alan Butt as the MWSL Director. During the opening meeting JaNette Lefkowitz told everyone of her belief that she and Steve may not even be in skydiving today without the Midwest Skydiving League, let alone being half of one of the world’s top 4way teams.

Alan butt said that he certainly hopes that he had a positive influence on the support through his management of the MWSL. However, he had never dreamt of having that sort of impact, he added: "It is exciting to imagine the influence Steve and JaNette will in turn have on future MWSL jumpers. Thanks again to everyone who has been involved with the league over the past eleven years. It has been a great experience and I am proud of all the MWSL has accomplished.

Alan Butt will most likely be back again as a competitor next year...