Utah Tech came to Texas as the defending champion. After one day of open play at the 2026 College World Championship, the Trailblazers made it clear they are still the team to beat in college pickleball.

On Friday at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas, Utah Tech swept the mixed doubles podium and took gold and bronze in men's singles. Six different Utah Tech team players left the day with a medal. 

Here's how the open divisions played out, and why the field should keep a close eye on Utah Tech as the team competition gets underway.

Mixed doubles belonged to Utah Tech. 

• Gold: Ella Boydston and Clayton Boydston
• Silver: Abigail Okelley and Hunter Merritt
• Bronze: Lauren Mercado and Liam Duffin

The gold medal match was the closest of the day. Siblings Ella and Clayton Boydston beat teammates Okelley and Merritt 11-8, 12-10, holding their nerve to close out a second game that went into overtime. .

Winning any tournament always feels good but winning the mixed world title is super exciting and getting to do it with my sister makes it better. Especially getting a full Utah tech sweep. We saved 7 or 8 match points in the quarters and proud of us because even in maybe not our best game we dug deep and trusted each other and survived. - Clayton Boydston

Mercado and Duffin left no doubt in the bronze medal match. They beat Bella Basham and Peyton Pogach 11-2, 11-2. 

Liam Duffin wins men's singles gold. 

Liam Duffin took the men's singles open title with an 11-6, 11-5 win over Noah Hlavac of Wisconsin. Duffin never let the final get close, holding Hlavac to single digits in both games.

Winning the college world singles title was an amazing feeling. Last year I had a similar feeling about winning the world title with UTU. This was special because singles was/is my least favorite event and I decided overall I wanted to get better at this event. This showed all the hours I spent training as well adjusting technical aspects in my game.- Liam Duffin 

Hunter Merritt added bronze for Utah Tech, and he did it the hard way. After dropping the first game 8-11 to Alex Serwatka, Merritt answered with an 11-2, 11-3 finish. 

Both Utah Tech singles medalists doubled up. Duffin finished the day with gold in singles and bronze in mixed. Merritt went home with bronze in singles and silver in mixed.

Love the event and glad they added mixed and mens individuals because last year they didn’t have it and it is a great event and makes the weekend more fun. Pretty sweet being able to play a tournament and then walking 20 steps and watching the top pros play. Clearly the best event to play and be at. - Clayton Boydston

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Why college pickleball should watch Utah Tech in the team event

The College World Championship title is decided in the team format, where each school fields two women and two men, all enrolled full-time at the same university.

Utah Tech won the 2025 College World Championship with a 3-1 win over Team India. Friday showed the depth behind that title defense. Six Trailblazers reached a podium, and the mixed doubles final was an all-Utah Tech affair.

Team play starts today, with the playoff bracket running through Sunday. Domestic teams are also competing for six bids to The Nationals, and the event carries the largest prize purse of the fall collegiate season.

Every match also counts toward each player's DUPR rating, so this weekend's results will show up on player profiles across the field. 

Overall the event was great, tons of matches on Friday. Played a total of 15 matches, that were alongside other colleges, pros and minor league players. This is special because it represents pickleball, no matter the age or skill level we are all here because of the sport we all love to play.

What's next on the College Pickleball Tour

The pro action continues at Brookhaven right after Worlds, with the Opendoor Pickleball World Championships running Nov. 2-8. On the college side, the fall schedule keeps moving:

• Midwest Collegiate Fall Invite 100, Nov. 7, Lake Geneva, Wis.
• Charlotte Classic Regional 200, Nov. 7, Charlotte, N.C.
• North Alabama Showdown, Nov. 14, Florence, Ala.
• George Mason 100, Nov. 14, Fairfax, Vir.
• Pickleball U Rager Regional 200, Nov. 14-15, Sarasota, Fla.
• Arizona Super Regional 300 @ Center Court Glendale, Nov. 21-22, Glendale, Ariz.
• Indiana Classic 200, Dec. 5, Bloomington, Ind.

Utah Tech set the tone on day one. Now these dominant players have to do it again as a team. Follow the bracket all weekend, find a college pickleball event near your campus and check your DUPR to see where your game stands.