USAF Academy Skydivers Win Multiple Gold Medals

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- Off they jumped, into the "wild blue yonder," and when they landed, members of the Air Force Academy Wings of Blue skydiving team were proud winners of multiple gold medals at the 2017 U.S. Parachute Association National Collegiate Parachuting Championships in Lake Wales, Florida.

Students Connor Severino and Zachary Wolf of the "Air Force SieteLobo" team won the gold in the 2-way vertical formation skydiving event. Team members fly on upright and upside-down axes to build as many formations as possible in time. The duo also won the gold-medal in the advanced class at the U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships in September. In addition, Severino won gold in masters sport accuracy, another category.

The "Air Force Storm" team took the gold metal in the 4-way open formation skydiving event. In formation skydiving, the team leaps from an aircraft more than two miles above the ground and then races against the clock to form prescribed geometric formations in freefall before opening their parachutes. Team members are David Arneberg, Chandler Beachy, Ryan Silva and Joseph Wilde.

"Air Force Sietray-Nobo" earned gold in the team sport accuracy event. In this event, skydivers try to land their parachutes as close as possible to a target while flying across the ground at high speeds. The team included Raymone Jackson, Severino, Noah Taylor and Wolf.

More than 80 collegiate parachutists participated in the competition.

Founded in 1946, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) is a non-profit association dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving nationwide, establishing strict safety standards, training policies and programs at more than 240 USPA-affiliated skydiving schools and centers throughout the United States, according to a statement.

Image: The "Air Force Storm" team perform in the 4-way open formation skydiving event at the 2017 U.S. Parachute Association National Collegiate Parachuting Championships in Lake Wales, Florida, via USPA/Laszlo Andacs.