posted Dec 11th, 2021 - An interesting duel played out in the middle of the 4-way Open Class field at the USPA Nationals 2021. Perris Jets and Skydive Midwest NEXT battled for the highest spot behind the medal positions.

The Midwest team is working on getting to the top spots in the 4-way Open Class at USPA Nationals, after winning the Intermediate Class gold medals in 2015, Advanced Class gold a year later and then competing once in the Open Class competition of 2017.

All members of the Perris Jets have been there before and collected many USPA and FAI 4-way and 8-way world championship medals and titles in the last three decades. Perris Jets won this duel of different generations on the 2021 leaderboard, while the 5th place for Skydive Midwest NEXT was still the team's highest Open Class placement so far.

Skydive Midwest NEXT founder Megan George and three members of the Jets actually even have a very short competition history together. She was on the same Open Class leaderboard with the previous NEXT lineup where Eliana Rodriguez, Craig Girard and Brian Johnson posted their scores of the first Airspeed Odyssey reunion.

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USPA Nationals 2021		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open	13,5,D		Q,9,4		F,14,C,10		H,L,20,N		18,22,19		11,J,E,8		6,7,K		G,15,12		M,2,21		16,A,P,O		Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	22	-2	28	-1	24		30		18	-1	25		26		20		24		35		252	25.2
2	SDC Rhythm XP	26		24	-4	21	-2	27	-1	19		23		26		21		24	-1	29		240	24.0
3	Golden Knights Gold	21		26		20		25	-1	16		23		21		17		16	-1	25	-1	210	21.0
4	The Jets	16	-1	20	-1	18		22		14		17		21		16		19		24		187	18.7
5	Skydive Midwest NEXT	18		21		18		20		14	-1	18		20		14		18		21	-1	182	18.2
6	XPG4	16		19		15	-2	22		13		19		18		14		18		21		175	17.5
7	Elsinore Bullet	16		18	-1	17		20	-1	12	-1	18		18		14		18		22		173	17.3
8	Aviatrixx	13		16		14		12	-3	10	-1	13		13		10	-1	14		16	-1	131	13.1
9	Golden Knights Black	12	-1	12	-3	14		13	-1	11		13		12		10		13	-2	16	-1	126	12.6

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Perris Jets - Skydive Midwest NEXT at the USPA Nationals 2021

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The USPA Nationals 2017 was the reunion event for Airspeed Odyssey, as the NSL News reported on 27 September 2017. The complete lineup, including original Odyssey member Andy Delk, explained on NSL Live Talk how they came back to competing at USPA Nationals. It was only the first reunion in 2017, which they obviously enjoyed enough to return with the same lineup in 2018 and 2019.

The same event was also the last competition for the 2017 lineup of Skydive Midwest NEXT. Only Megan George came back with the current lineup after a 3-year outdoor break. Megan George, Lauren Byrd and Greg Oldendick competed once with original NEXT tail Chris Haslam at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2020 before Gorka Amian took the slot for the 2021 season.

The NEXT lineup of 2017 ended up far behind Airspeed Odyssey (21.7 - 17.3) who finished in the same 4th place as the Perris Jets did this year. The current NEXT lineup climbed up the rankings from 8th place on the USPA leaderboard of 2017 to 5th place this October.

The three Airspeed Odyssey members decided to keep their team name of the Jets that they had competed under with Dan BC earlier this year at the September meet of the Arizona Skydiving League.

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USPA Nationals 2017			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		O,4,9		G,21,A,H		N,D,J,14		L,16,12		K,19,6		E,2,10		P,11,15		17,3,22		F,7,1		Q,5,M,20		Total	Avg
1	NMP PCH HayaBusa	BE	31		33		28	-2	23	-1	25		23		23	-1	22		31		31		270	27.0
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	27		32		29		22		24		22		21	-1	23		29		29		258	25.8
3	SDC Rhythm XP	US	29		31		28	-1	23		22		20	-1	23		19		28	-1	29		252	25.2
4	Golden Knights	US	24		26	-1	28		22		18	-3	19		20		19	-1	24		23		223	22.3
5	Airspeed Odyssey	US	25	-1	23	-1	27	-1	19		22		19		19		17		23	-1	23		217	21.7
6	Defiance	US	24		24		26		18		19		17	-1	19		16	-1	24		22	-1	209	20.9
7	GKBC	US	24		19	-4	24		15	-2	17	-1	17		18		16		23		20	-1	193	19.3
8	Dallas 350	US	18		23		24		16		16	-1	16		16		11		22		19		181	18.1
9	ISR FireFlash	BE	21		22		19	-1	14	-2	17		16	-1	14	-2	16		20		19	-1	178	17.8
10	SDMW NEXT XP	US	15	-3	25		17	-3	17		15	-2	16	-1	16	-1	15		23		14	-3	173	17.3
11	Spaceland Lite	US	19		22		19		12	-2	17		14		13	-1	8	-2	19		17	-1	160	16.0
12	Phoenix XP	US	16	-1	18		19		13		13	-1	13	-1	14		14		15	-2	17		152	15.2
13	Long Shot	US	16	-1	14	-1	15	-2	13	-1	13	-1	14		12	-2	12		16	-1	17		142	14.2
14	Arizona Alpha	US	17		17		11	-3	12	-1	14		13	-1	12		13		17		12	-2	138	13.8
15	Perris Quicksilver	US	15		17		12	-3	11		11	-1	13		12		10	-1	16		13		130	13.0

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Airspeed Odyssey - Skydive Midwest NEXT at the USPA Nationals 2017

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The Perris Jets finished with exactly the same 18.7 average at the USPA Nationals that they had posted after the six rounds at the ASL September meet. The competitive duel between Perris Jets and Skydive Midwest NEXT became reality when NEXT finished with the team's first 18+ average.

The 2017 lineup had won one round over Airspeed Odyssey and tied another one in the team's first Open Class competition. This time, the new NEXT lineup won three rounds and tied two more. The 44-point difference between Airspeed Odyssey and NEXT in 2017 was down to five points this year.

The Golden Knights won the 2021 bronze medals with a 21.0 average, and Skydive Midwest NEXT finished 28 points behind the U.S. Army team. Airspeed Odyssey won the USPA bronze medals in 2018 (20.6) and 2019 (19.5) in the absence of the Golden Knights in 4-way Open.

The numbers are showing that the new 4-way generation of Skydive Midwest NEXT could be in medal contention at the next national championship - if the same lineup continues. SDC Rhythm XP is still recruiting for one more open slot...