posted Dec 22nd, 2025 - The addition of more female formation skydiving competitors to the NSL Profiles is briefly set aside to highlight a remarkable career story—one that is long overdue and far from reaching its conclusion. Jesse Stahler is the third Golden Knights team captain to receive an NSL Profile. It comes as little surprise that a captain of the U.S. Army teams stands out in the competitive arena, as FAI gold medals in 8-way competition have been almost consistently secured for extended periods since 1985. However, competitive talent, success, and medal counts alone do not fully explain this distinction.

Serving as a team captain for the U.S. Army teams requires leadership on many levels. It is the unique combination of elite athletic performance and exceptional leadership qualities that defines a Golden Knights team captain—and naturally earns the recognition that follows. John Hoover and Brian “BK” Krause are former Golden Knights team captains who were previously featured in NSL Profiles. There are no fixed criteria for the selection of an NSL Profile; rather, these two former Golden Knights were chosen because of their outstanding status within the sport.

They were the first Golden Knights to receive NSL Profiles after SKYLEAGUE.COM was launched as a journalistic information outlet. Earlier team captains were equally successful and demonstrated exceptional leadership; however, an online presence was not available during their era. There have been additional Golden Knights team captains since 2002, and NSL News will work step by step to fill the remaining gaps in the NSL Profiles.

USPA Nationals 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	4-way Open		O,4,5		21,12,22		6,J,H,G		N,2,20		L,13,A,F		7,19,M		1,14,18		9,10,15		17,E,8		C,3,P,K		Total	Avg
G	Aethers Lille	FR	23	-1	19		33		23		34		26		18		21		23	-1	30	-1	250	25.0
1	Golden Knights	US	21	-3	19		29		22		36		26		19		19	-2	26		28		245	24.5
2	Arizona Airspeed	US	24		17		27		19		29		23		15		17		22		23	-1	216	21.6

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Golden Knights - Arizona Airspeed at the USPA Nationals 2025

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Sean Sweeney succeeded Brian Krause as team captain, followed by Andrew Starr when Sweeney stepped back. In addition, several former Golden Knights—Jennifer Davidson, Matt Davidson, and Craig Girard—have also been featured by NSL News, despite not having served as team captains for the U.S. Army teams.

Jesse Stahler was already part of the 8-way lineup under the leadership of both Sean Sweeney and Andrew Starr. He also shares a notable parallel with former team captain John Hoover: both competed in 8-way and 4-way, and both served as team captains during periods when the Golden Knights fielded only 4-way teams.

John Hoover guided the U.S. Army’s 4-way team to a national championship title in 2002, earning qualification as the U.S. national team in 4-way Open, and later brought home FAI silver medals from Gap 2003. While Jesse Stahler did not hold the team captain position for the Golden Knights 8-way team under Sean Sweeney and Andrew Starr, he has since led the 4-way team to a national championship title this year and will represent the U.S. delegation at the world championship next year. He could accomplish something truly unique together with his current 4-way teammates—Nick Birkner, Mike Connors, Mitch Stockenberg, with Skyler Romberg on camera.

Formation skydiving competition medal count at FAI Outdoor World Championships since 1985

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The Golden Knights have won FAI 8-way gold medals at world championships multiple times since 1985. Jesse Stahler alone holds three 8-way world championship gold medals, and his name is engraved on the William H. Ottley Sword for the world champions, also known as the 8-way Excalibur. However, the Golden Knights have yet to claim a 4-way world championship title, and Jesse Stahler’s current lineup is on track to add this missing piece to the Golden Knights’ legacy next year.

Jesse Stahler is already unique in other athletic respects as well. He has also trained and competed with the Golden Knights’ 4-way VFS team, spending five years with the VFS program—most of that time while simultaneously serving as a member of the 8-way team. U.S. Army support for the Golden Knights’ 8-way team began to fade after the FAI gold medal victory at Australia 2018 and ended completely in 2021. The VFS team was also discontinued after the conclusion of the 2018 season. Jesse Stahler remained in the 8-way lineup from 2018 through 2021, while gradually shifting his focus toward horizontal 4-way training and competition. Eventually, he finalized his preferred 4-way lineup and embarked on the path toward a national championship beginning in 2023. The result was a USPA gold medal in October of last year, marking the start of a serious challenge to the French top favorites for the world’s 4-way crown at the World Championships in October 2026.

FAI Dubai Mondial 2012			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		N,21,B,5	14,C,13	22,M,20	17,H,16	J,E,12,4	7,19,15	G,K,8,2	O,L,F,P,A	10,11,18	9,Q,D,1	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	21	19	27	26	26	18	20	28	19	25	229	22.9
2	Aerodyne Maubeuge	FR	22	19	22	23	27	20	20	28	19	25	225	22.5
3	Barkli 8	RU	19	18	22	22	21	15	15	24	16	20	192	19.2
Rank	4-way Open		5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
1	Arizona Airspeed	US	27	34	27	22	23	23	32	25	40	26	279	27.9
2	NMP-PCH Hayabusa	BE	25	34	27	21	23	24	32	27	40	25	278	27.8
3	Aerodyne Aerokart	FR	26	30	27	21	23	25	29	23	37	24	265	26.5

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Golden Knights - Arizona Airspeed at the FAI Dubai Mondial 2012

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Jesse Stahler’s favorite competition memories extend beyond winning his most recent FAI gold medal in Australia 2018:

“There are a lot of great memories. One I think of often is the 2018 World Meet in Australia, where I got to compete—and win gold—with Matt Davidson, Sean Sweeney, and Josh Coleman at their final competition as Golden Knights. I also had my wife there to share in the celebrations.”

Another of his most memorable experiences was witnessing Team USA capture both FS Ottley Swords at the FAI Dubai Mondial 2012:

“I can still recall the tension in the crowd as we all watched the final rounds being judged, with both Airspeed and the Golden Knights taking home the gold medals. After the competition, I had the opportunity to watch in freefall as both teams formed a double-sword formation to commemorate their achievement. This experience solidified my desire to earn the Team USA nomination for the majority of my career with the U.S. Army Parachute Team.”

FAI World Meet 2018			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open		21,L,B,G	22,18,17	19,7,O	J,16,12	10,A,D,15	Q,M,F,C,N	H,20,P,13	6,14,11	E,2,5	4,1,3	Total	Avg
1	Golden Knights	US	24	21	18	24	19	29	21	18	17	33	224	22.4
2	Tanay	RU	21	21	17	22	20	28	16	18	18	28	209	20.9
3	Qatar Falcons	QA	19	16	15	18	14	21	16	14	14	23	170	17.0
4	MicroClim8	UK	17	15	12	14	15	21	15	12	13	18	152	15.2
5	JYR8	AU	14	14	13	17	11	20	14	14	12	21	150	15.0
6	Airbus	DE	13	15	9	15	11	16	12	12	10	16	129	12.9
7	Brazil	BR	11	10	9	12	9	12	9	10	9	16	107	10.7

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Golden Knights at the FAI Outdoor World Championship 2018

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