SALT LAKE CITY — For the second year in a row, the Utah High School Girls’ Goalball team has won the national championship. The competition took place this year at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine, Florida. In the final round, the Utah team beat the West Virginia team by 9 to 1.
Utah player Reese Branch was named the tournament’s MVP. Because she was one of the top six girl goalball players, she made it to the All-American Goalball Team, as did her teammate Kelsey Kartchner.
Truly a Utah team
Utah’s girls’ goalball team members come from all over the state. They include Branch from Tremonton, Kartchner from Smithfield, Julie Jenson from Pleasant Grove, and Kalinka Brown from Clearfield.
And while that makes them a great representative of the state, the distance can interfere with their training as a team.
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“We can’t get together like every day, like a lot of high school teams. So we practice usually once a week in Midvale.”
Then, like a lot of workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the athletes train on their own, at home.
“It’s a lot of like finding your own time to work out, and then obviously, our amazing coaches help us so much,” Branch said.
The Utah Foundation for the Blind and Visually Impaired manages the team. Rachel Jepson and Jalayne Engberg coach the team. Jepson is a former Utah goalball player. Engberg is a teacher and mobility instructor in the Alpine School District.
What is goalball?
According to the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind, Goalball was a rehabilitation tool that originated after World War II in Germany. It’s played on an indoor court with a ball that has bells in it.
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“There are three people on each side of the court,” Branch told KSL NewsRadio.
“You’re blindfolded, and the goal is to throw the ball into the opposing team’s goal. You block it with your body and then stand up and throw.”
Utah boys’ goalball
The Utah High School Boy’s Team got to the tournament’s quarterfinals before they were eliminated. Their team includes Kelton Health, Greer Merrill, Caleb Rice, and Luke Sorenson.
Jackson has been writing about sports for the Deseret News since 2023.
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No. 9 BYU (14-1, 2-0) vs. Utah (8-7, 0-2)
Tip: Saturday, 8 p.m. MST
Venue: Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City
TV: ESPN
Streaming: espn.com/live
BYU radio broadcast: 102.7 FM/1160 AM/Sirius XM 143
Utah radio broadcast: 92.1 FM/700 AM
Series: Utahleads, 79-72 since 1949 (most recent meeting: 2025)
The trends
For BYU: 14-1 on the season, No. 10 in KenPom, averaging 88.2 points scored and 66.7 points allowed per game
For Utah: 8-7 on the season, No. 131 in KenPom, averaging 80.3 points scored and 80.1 points allowed per game
Players to watch
For BYU: Forward AJ Dybantsa, guard Richie Saunders, guard Robert Wright III
For Utah: Guard Terrance Brown, guard Don McHenry, forward Keanu Dawes
Utah forward Keanu Dawes (8) dunks the ball during a game against the Arizona Wildcats held at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News
SOUTH OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — There is a heavy police presence in the area of Harrison Blvd in South Ogden. ABC4 is working to learn more.
While police have not confirmed any information, ABC4 has acquired footage from a bystander that shows law enforcement detaining one individual. The individual can be seen handcuffed and without a shirt.
Courtesy: David Blanton
Several residents have also reported seeing over a dozen police vehicles heading to the area and reported hearing gunshots on social media.
Courtesy: Kade Garner // KTVX
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Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, including Davis County SWAT, Weber County Sheriff’s Department, and Morgan County Sheriff’s Department. Officers from Riverton Police Department, Roy Police Department, Clinton Police Department, and Layton police Department all responded to the scene.
Law enforcement also used several drones and several armored vehicles responded to the scene. Additionally, it appears at least one person was transported from the scene by ambulance
Courtesy: Randy Ferrin
At this time, law enforcement has not confirmed any details regarding this incident. However, they appeared to have cleared from the scene.
This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as more information becomes available.
SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.
The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.
According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.
SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.
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Anti-DEI mandates at national parks include Zion gift shop:
‘History deserves honesty,’ anti-DEI mandates at national parks include Zion gift shop
Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.
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Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.
