posted May 6th, 2024 - SDC Rhythm XP have launched their second year with the current lineup, after Steve Loufek replaced Carl Kallgren at the end of the 2022 season. The team members also continue to organize the events of the Midwest Skydiving League, one of the oldest and longest standing leagues of the National Skydiving League's 4-way network.

Four regional 4-way meets are scheduled, which brings the Midwest Skydiving League back to the same activity level of the years before the corona virus crisis. Midwest teams still attended the four events in 2019 before the implications of the pandemic allowed only two in 2020. The comeback began with three meets in 2021 and 2022, while weather interfered with a third one in 2023.

Midwest Skydiving League 2024
Meet 1	May 25th, 2024	Skydive Chicago
Meet 2	Jun 29th, 2024	Skydive Midwest
Meet 3	Aug 10th, 2024	Chicagoland
Meet 4	Aug 31st, 2024	Skydive Chicago

Rhythm members have been directing the Midwest Skydiving League activities since Alan Butt retired at the end of the 2012 season. He gladly handed over the MWSL baton to JaNette and Steve Lefkowitz and their respective Rhythm team mates.

Current inside center Keith Conner joined the team in 2022 and has been taking care of the Midwest Skydiving League ever since, together with his current team mate Chris Webb. Newest Rhythm member Steve Loufek has now joined Keith Conner and Chris Webb with their efforts to offer regional 4-way training and competition in the Midwest Skydiving League area.

SDC Rhythm XP lineups between 2007 and 2024

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The 2024 season has started for SDC Rhythm XP exactly the same way as in 2023, the first year with the current , followed by the Shamrock Showdown 2023.

Doug Barron, team member since 2016 and one of the four SDC Rhythm XP world championship silver medalists of 2021, knows the value of competition experiences and exposed the new lineup to more national and international events last year, including the FAI Outdoor World Cup 2023 in Norway.

SDC Rhythm XP is primarily an outdoor team, even though lineup. The first competition with Steve Loufek was the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2023indoor training and competition are important tools for the team and its members. However, the national indoor championship at Paraclete XP was the only indoor competition that Rhythm attended in 2023, and the new year began the same way, even though more exciting with the extra round to break the tie for the bronze medals with XPG4. XPG4 had caught up with Rhythm's indoor performance level of 2023, and the defending bronze medalists won the duel only with their best performance in Round 11.

Paraclete XP Indoor 2023	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
AAA Class	15,14,5		19,9,1		10,J,17		M,B,G,E,F		3,18,4		Q,6,C,D		11,7,8		16,H,2		K,N,L,13		A,20,P,O		Total	Avg
SDC Rhythm XP	20		23		25		52		19		32		23		25		30		27		276	27.6
Paraclete XP Indoor 2024	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
AAA Class	4,21,F		6,14,5		H,10,K,8		2,D,B,15		O,J,P,22		20,17,18		L,M,C,19		E,13,3		A,1,Q,G		11,12,16		Total	Avg
SDC Rhythm XP	23	-2	23	-1	23		25	-1	30		20	-2	33	-1	25	-1	31	-1	21		254	25.4

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SDC Rhythm XP at the Paraclete XP Indoor Championship 2023 and 2024

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The outdoor competition at the Shamrock Showdown 2024 a month later already presented a different Rhythm picture, even though the U.S. placement behind Arizona Airspeed and Golden Knights was the same as at the indoor event in February.

The actual meet averages at both Shamrock Showdown events, 18.0 in 2023 and 21.6 in 2024, could be deceiving and present an unrealistic progression, caused by the competition draw. The 10-round meet this March included a Super Sequence in Round 9 (C,K,H,P,B) that Rhythm used for a 39-point outdoor team record.

However, a more realistic scoring level is mathematically generated by ignoring the highest score for a round and calculating the meet average after the remaining nine rounds. Applying this formula, SDC Rhythm XP finished with a 17.6 average at Skydive DeLand in 2023 and 19.7 in March 2024. The convincing progression of Rhythm's outdoor performance is still obvious.

Interestingly enough, a Super Sequence was also drawn in Round 4 (M,B,G,E,F) of last year's indoor championship, and Rhythm's 52-pointer boosted the 27.6 average. It was impossible for most of the returning AAA Class teams to match their meet average of 2023, except for XPG4 who finished with 25.4 at both events. SDC Rhythm XP performed on a very similar scoring level at both indoor events, after the application of the same formula and disregarding the highest score of the competition.

Shamrock Showdown 2023	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
AAA Class	14,O,7		C,9,11		4,2,F		Q,13,21		B,6,L,19		1,22,G		K,18,8		M,3,17		H,15,12		D,20,10		Total	Avg
SDC Rhythm XP	20	-1	20		20		19	-1	21		14	-2	15	-2	22		15	-2	14	-1	180	18.0
Shamrock Showdown 2024	1		2		3		4		5		6		7		8		9		10		Total	Avg
AAA Class	G,5,19		7,12,15		18,21,Q		17,16,A		E,L,22,11		2,10,M		F,6,N,9		J,13,O,8		C,K,H,P,B		D,20,4		Total	Avg
SDC Rhythm XP	19		16		18		22		19		17	-1	27	-1	22		39	-1	17	-1	216	21.6

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SDC Rhythm XP at the Shamrock Showdown 2023 and 2024

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