SAN ANTONIO — Pepper Rickert, who is set to make her Sandpoint High varsity tennis debut this spring, picked up some big wins at the Classic Rock Coffee USTA National Winter Championships, the U.S.A’s highest level junior tournament, held Dec. 28 through Jan. 3 at the University of Texas San Antonio.

The tournament, reserved for the top 128 players in the nation, featured athletes from over 25 different states. In the 14U girls division, Rickert picked up three wins and two losses.

In the first round, Rickert defeated S. Lewis of Tenafly, N.J., 6-4, 7-5; Lewis is currently ranked as a 5-star recruit per tennisrecruiting.net. In the second round, Rickert took down 4-star recruit Meher Rao of Powell, Ohio, 6-2, 6-3.

After losing in round three, Rickert entered the ‘winners’ backdraw’ where she defeated Daniela Davletshina of Boca Raton, Fla., 6-3, 6-4. Davletshina is ‘playing up’ in the U14 division after finishing the 2023 U12 season as the No. 1 ranked player in the country, making the win a pretty impressive one for Rickert.

Rickert is currently ranked as the No. 115 player in the nation, No. 2 in the Mountain Region, and No. 1 in the state of Idaho. She is currently considered a four-star recruit per tennisrecruiting.net.