posted Jan 15th, 2026 - Roster changes continue on the east coast, after Arizona Airspeed has recruited Michelle Karamon for the upcoming three-year period. Meanwhile, the U.S. national 8-way team, Paraclete XP8, is also refining the lineup that will represent the United States at the outdoor world championships this October.

XP8 has been the world’s dominant 8-way team since the Golden Knights claimed every outdoor world championship title from 2012 to 2018 for the U.S. delegation. When the U.S. Army began reducing support for its 8-way program and shifted focus to 4-way, John D’Annunzio and Kirk Verner assembled new, highly competitive 8-way lineups that carried the momentum forward.

Since 2018, XP8 lineups have captured every USPA national championship title. In 4-way Open, the Golden Knights finally secured national team status after winning USPA gold in 2025. While the XP8 roster has evolved regularly over the years, Jeana Billings and Kirk Verner remain the only current members to have won every USPA gold medal consecutively during this period. Together, they also claimed three FAI World Championship titles in 2021, 2022, and 2024. Additionally, Kirk Verner is closing in on tying Craig Girard for first place on the all-time list of formation skydiving world championship winners.

4-way and 8-way Formation Skydiving World Champions between 1985 and 2024

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John D’Annunzio, Kirk Verner, and Jeana Billings have spent the most recent period developing a new generation of XP8 competitors for world championship competition. They were joined in the lineup by fellow 8-way world champions Jennifer Davidson (2018) and Andrew Happick (2022, 2024).

Following their FAI gold medal performance at Crystal Coast 2024, the leadership group recruited Jill Stephenson, Brandon Kashani, Ian Pedowitz, James Hall, and Kevin Penn in the camera slot for the next lineup. The new XP8 team immediately entered training and went on to win the national indoor championship.

However, for the indoor world championship in April, XP8 fielded its strongest possible lineup. John D’Annunzio, Kirk Verner, Jeana Billings, and Andrew Happick defended the world title alongside Mike Connors, Matt Davidson, Jeshua Stahler, and Andrew Starr—all former 8-way world champions. With the French 8-way team at Paraclete XP posing a significant challenge, XP8 secured gold medals by competing with its most experienced roster.

Ahead of the USPA Nationals 2025, Carl Kallgren and James Hall joined XP8 and replaced John D'Annunzio and Andrew Happick. The newly formed lineup successfully defended the USPA 8-way title, featuring three 8-way world champions—Jeana Billings, Jennifer Davidson, and Kirk Verner—alongside five newer team members: Jill Stephenson, James Hall, Carl Kallgren, Brandon Kashani, and Ian Pedowitz, with Kevin Penn on camera.

USPA Nationals 2025		1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open	Q,H,9,7		B,20,E,14		C,8,21		17,10,2		18,O,A,19		6,15,K		F,D,22,M		13,4,16		12,L,G,J		P,1,5		Total	Avg
1	XP8	17		14	-2	14	-1	15		14	-2	21	-1	20		20		20		18	-2	173	17.3
2	GKAZ8	14	-1	16	-1	12	-2	10	-2	15		16	-2	14	-3	20		16	-3	15	-2	148	14.8
3	Prison 9	11	-1	13		9	-3	11	-1	10		15		13	-1	15		12	-2	15		124	12.4
4	Mandatory Fun!	11		11		9	-1	9		9	-1	12	-1	13	-1	13		13		12		112	11.2
5	No Guts No Gloryhole	9	-2	8	-2	9		8		9		12		12		14		11		13		105	10.5
6	Perris Byte	7		7		4		6		6	-1	9		0		10		8		9	-1	66	6.6
7	Papa D's G8ngsteRhs	7	-2	5	-3	6		5		5		6	-1	8		5	-2	6	-2	9		62	6.2

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Paraclete XP8 at the USPA Nationals 2025

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The complete new lineup traveled to France in November and delivered an impressive 29.5 average at Weembinamic 2025, nearly two points higher than their 27.7 average at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2025 in February.

However, the lineup changed once again at the start of the outdoor world championship year. XP8’s 17.3 average at the USPA Nationals last year placed the team second in the world's 8-way rankings, behind the Qatar Falcons, who posted an 18.1 average at the FAI Outdoor World Cup in August 2025—two months before the USPA Nationals. France also remains capable of assembling a strong and competitive 8-way team at any time, making them a potential challenger for FAI gold.

Matt Davidson, who sits just behind Craig Girard and Kirk Verner in the all-time world championship rankings with six 8-way gold medals, became available again this year. SDC Rhythm XP / Prison 9 captain Doug Barron was also ready to prioritize 8-way competition at the world championships over other commitments. Doug Barron brings world championship experience after earning silver with SDC Rhythm XP at the FAI Tanay Mondial 2020. Paraclete XP8 invited Matt Davidson and Doug Barron to join the 2026 lineup, while Jill Stephenson and Ian Pedowitz stepped back to bench roles. James Hall, Carl Kallgren, and Brandon Kashani remain in the active lineup, joined by Doug Barron and four 8-way world champions.

FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025			1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
Rank	8-way Open - Unofficial		B,Q,19,F		G,13,K,A		12,7,8		16,E,6		1,J,9		10,15,21		5,18,L		M,20,11		C,17,2		22,O,P,3		Total	Avg
1	Qatar Falcons	QA	19		20		14	-1	22		19		14		16		18		17		22		181	18.1
2	Prison 9	US	18		16		9	-2	17	-2	19		12	-1	15		15		11	-2	15		147	14.7
3	Mandatory Fun!	US	15	-1	13	-1	11		12	-2	14		12		10	-1	14		12		15		128	12.8
-	Netunos	BR	16		11	-2	7	-4	16		14		11		10		-		-		-		85	12.1
4	Bra Nok XP	US	13		11	-1	10	-1	13		13		9	-2	11		11		8		11		110	11.0
5	Airbus 8-way	DE	13		14		5	-5	15		9		3	-2	9		10		7		6	-2	91	9.1
6	Shinobi XL	NL	6		4		4		6		4	-2	5		5		1	-2	4		4		43	4.3
7	Cark8	UK	3		3	-1	2	-1	4		3	-1	4		5		4		4		3		35	3.5
8	Just M8S	UK	1	-3	4		4		2	-2	3		4		5		3		3		2	-2	31	3.1

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Qatar Falcons at the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2025

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