Smithfield's Kartchner an All-American in goalball

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Kelsey Kartchner isn't your typical high school sophomore.

While most teens spend their weekends worrying about homework or hanging out with friends, the Smithfield native is dominating on a national stage as an All-American goalball athlete.

This year she helped lead Utah's youth goalball team to their second consecutive national championship, marking a meteoric rise for a team that, just two seasons ago, finished dead last in the same tournament.

"We were kind of the joke of the whole thing," Kartchner recalled of her first trip to nationals. "It was a very unmemorable trip."

But in the span of a year, the team transformed from underdogs to gold medalists, thanks to relentless training, plus an infusion of young talent.

"We definitely kind of just leveled up," Kartchner said. "We wanted it a lot more."

Goalball, a sport designed for visually impaired athletes, is played on a basketball-sized court with goals spanning each end. Players wear blackout goggles and rely on the sound of bells inside the ball to track its movement. Kartchner, along with her best friend and tournament MVP Reese Branch, has embraced the sport's intensity and complexity.

"It's a lot of cardio because it's a lot of up and down, like sliding, diving and throwing," Kartchner explained. "We use medicine balls in training to build strength, and we run a ton. We also play against the boys a lot. It definitely gets very competitive."

Her mom, Krissy, has watched Kelsey's commitment grow firsthand.

"They practice for four hours on Saturdays. It's almost continuous practice," Krissy said. "We've definitely noticed that our girls communicate way better than some other teams."

This year's national tournament was no fluke. With more than 15 teams from states like Texas, Florida and Washington -- and even a Canadian team participating in an alternate bracket -- the level of competition was intense. But Utah proved dominant, defeating West Virginia 9-1 in the championship game.

The success of Utah's program has mirrored the sport's growth statewide.

"When I started, we only had four girls. Now we're up to eight, and we're splitting into two teams," Kelsey said, who also helps coach younger players. "It's really exciting to see all these little kids coming in and saying, 'hey, I want to try this.'"

That growth wasn't always guaranteed. Like many youth sports, goalball took a hit during the COVID pandemic. But in recent years, interest has rebounded.

"We've even had some states send teams for the first time ever," Krissy said. "It's picking up steam again."

Kelsey's journey in the sport started when she was just 6 or 7 years old. Though she didn't start competing nationally until high school she'd been playing in Utah's local tournaments for years. Once on the team, her drive to improve kicked into high gear.

"I didn't even know how to use weight machines before," she said. "But I had friends who helped me, and I realized I really liked it. Working out and tracking my progress, it was actually fun."

Her commitment didn't go unnoticed. In a surprise moment at the national tournament, Kelsey was named an All-American -- one of just six of players nationwide to receive the honor.

"We were super surprised," Krissy said. "We thought for sure Reese would get it, but then they said another person from Utah, and it was Kelsey. It was amazing."

Being named an All-American has opened new doors for Kelsey, who's now seriously considering the possibility of playing goalball at an international level.

"Me and Reese, we've talked about it," she said. "We really want this. We'd love to go to the Olympics someday."

While scholarships for goalball are rare, the sport does offer a clear path to elite competition, including the U.S. national team and Paralympic trials. Several of Kelsey's coaches have gone on to adult league teams and development camps.

"There's definitely a future if you want to keep going," she said.

For now, though, Kelsey's focus remains on high school, training and helping grow the game she loves.

"It's taught me so much," she said. "Our team has so much fun together, but we also work so hard and try to do our best."

In a sport that often flies under the radar, Kelsey Kartchner is helping bring goalball into the spotlight -- one dive, one throw and one championship at a time. With two years of high

school still ahead and an already decorated résumé, she stands a strong chance of one day realizing her dream of becoming an Olympian and competing on the global stage.