A pair of Vail pickleball instructors are headed to the 2024 USA Pickleball National Championship this November in Mesa, Arizona.

Juli Young and Mike Leigh won the 5.0 mixed doubles in the 70+ age group on Thursday at the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket qualifier event in Arvada. Young also paired up with Summit local Lori Miller to win the 4.0 women’s doubles on Wednesday.

All four advanced to the national championships, which will feature pro and amateur divisions. The Eagle and Summit County athletes are set to compete in the amateur ranks at the Arizona Athletic Grounds from Nov. 9-17.

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Leigh, an instructor in EagleVail, is the author of “Zen and the Art of Pickleball,” which he published in August 2022. He’s since published a second edition, available at The Bookworm of Edwards, and is hosting a clinic at EagleVail on July 28 based on some of the text’s concepts. He and Young also teamed up to win gold at the Rocky Mountain Championships in Littleton last summer.

In Thursday’s match, Leigh and Young won 2-of-3 in pool play to get into the playoffs. Seeded second, they trailed 8-3 to an opponent they’d already beaten earlier in the tournament. Leigh said he and Young “kept our cool,” going on a 9-1 run to take the win and advance to the finals.

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As temperatures soared into the nineties, the duo dispatched No. 4-seeded Don Simmons and Sherrie Farris of Westminster 11-5, 11-4 to punch their tickets to Mesa for their first national championship appearance.

“So, this will be exciting to get to play with the best of the best from all over the nation,” Leigh stated. 

The growth in pickleball’s popularity has been felt locally as well as nationally. Steamboat Springs is hosting the United Pickleball Association amateur state championship in its brand new, 35,000 square-foot facility in September. At the USA Pickleball national championship in November, the pros will compete for a $225,000 prize purse.

“The significant prize purse reflects USA Pickleball’s commitment to elevating the sport, supporting pro athletes and providing competitive opportunities at the highest level,” stated Mike Nealy, CEO of USA Pickleball, in a press release.

The 41-court Arizona Athletic Grounds, completed in January 2022 has a championship court with seating for 2,000 spectators.

“Incredibly excited, the bar is high. It’s going to be a phenomenal event,” stated Mike Burke, president of the venue, in a press release.

“We’re going to host a lot of people. It’s exactly the type of event I want to host here — big, high profile, extraordinarily well-run, great partnership with the host organization,” he continued. “I’m looking for more immersive, experiential events going forward, and this one is going to check those boxes.”