Lehi Sports
Lehi team earns 3rd at state pickleball tourney
Beky Beaton / Lehi Free Press
The Lehi High School pickleball team finished in third place at the Utah High School Pickleball Association (UHSPA) state team championship Division 1 tournament on Saturday (Feb. 7) at the Orem Club USA Pickleball facility.
Glen Zobell, one of the team’s three coaches, said that Lehi finished 26th last year, so this was an impressive achievement. The team’s overall record this season was 17-1, with the only loss being to Green Canyon in the playoff semifinals. The Pioneers defeated Skyridge for third place.
Lehi’s competitive pickleball club team includes about 25 players, but the top nine represented the Pioneers at the tournament. Pairs of players competed in girls doubles, boys doubles and mixed doubles matches. There is also a tournament for individual championships which has yet to be played.
Lehi’s state team included senior boys Kyson Lambert, Karver Warner and Gage Welch plus junior Beck McAdams. Another junior, Jacob Jett, couldn’t be at the tournament but helped his team get there.
The state squad’s girls included juniors Kennedi Adams, Remy McAdams and Kaylee Lund, sophomore Emma Wilson and freshman Sahasya Sandepogu.
“The Lehi Picklr and Paramount Pickleball were very generous in donating practice time for our team,” Zobell said.
Zobell is a teacher at Lehi and was also just appointed as the girls tennis coach. The pickleball team’s other coaches are Carrie Nielsen, a teacher at Willowcreek Middle School, and Rich Wilson.
The UHSPA oversees competition between club teams at 40 Utah high schools. The regular season consists of eight meets played on Saturdays and the teams earn points for their results. Each team plays two other schools at each meet.
The tournament is divided into two divisions based on how the teams are ranked at the end of the regular season, with the top 20 teams assigned to Division 1.
Pickleball is classified as an “emerging sport” by the Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA), and one of the UHSPA’s stated goals is to get the sport sanctioned by the UHSAA. Consideration will take place once the levels of school participation reach the UHSAA’s criteria.
Lehi High School also has a recreation pickleball club, but that’s where students get together to play for fun or as a hobby. They don’t compete in any tournaments or matches.
