By Catherine Garrett | [email protected]

Corner Canyon High tennis players Cassidy Rich and Jane Dorny—both 2019 state qualifiers who won multiple matches in the postseason—played in the top singles spots for the Chargers tennis team to begin the season, losing to just Lone Peak. New coach Allison Rideout then switched up her lineup and put the seniors at No. 1 doubles where their lone loss is also to the Knights. 

“We are giving Jane and Cassidy their best run at state [scheduled for Oct. 8, 10 at Liberty Park] by playing first doubles,” Rideout said. “They have been doing awesome.”

“The season has been so much fun so far and it was gone so fast,” Rich said. “I want to play my absolute very best in every match and play every match like it’s my last. I love playing and I’m excited to see how the rest of the season is gonna go.”

Dorny said she has loved transitioning to doubles play and sharing the court with Rich. “It’s been so much fun playing with Cassidy,” Dorny said. “With everything so uncertain, my goal is to go out and play like it’s my last match because it very well could be. I’m just trying to have fun and savor my senior year tennis season.”

Even though Corner Canyon welcomed a new head coach to the program this year, Rideout is no stranger to this team. She has been volunteering the past few years as her son Jensen—who graduated this past spring and will play at Southern Virginia following an LDS mission—was playing the No. 1 singles spot for the boys program. In fact, she helped Mykel Seeborg, who had been running the boys and girls programs since CCHS opened, to establish an academy program, allowing any interested students to play tennis and develop within the various skill levels. This year, Seeborg will run the academy while Rideout focuses on the varsity and junior varsity teams.

“I jumped at the chance to coach this team, and I’m so excited to make this a strong program,” Rideout said. “I want it to matter to these girls that they made the team and that they really accomplished something.”

Rideout has been playing tennis for years, including while a student at Hillcrest High. She upped her game further when she married former BYU tennis player Benji Rideout, whose brother Micah also played for the Cougars. “They’re much better than I am,” she said.

Since being hired in July, she has brought in experience to help her on the coaching staff with two former collegiate players. Former BYU tennis player Adrien Jenkins, whose daughter Raeli was a doubles state champion player for Corner Canyon in 2017, and former U of U player Megan Dorny, mother of Jane, have been providing a high-level knowledge base to the CCHS program. 

“I’m naturally drawn to teaching and have a strength in organizing things, but I knew I needed to hire others that could help with the instruction. We need to take this program where we want it,” Rideout said. “There’s no reason that with the talent and resources available in this area that we can’t be a strong program.”

This season, Corner Canyon has been focusing on gaining match experience among the rest of its young squad. “We are definitely going to be building this program for a few years so we are not focusing on team wins.”

Also on the 2020 team are Abbey Aamodt, Lauren Ashton, Sydney Astle, Emma Bench, Bella Borman, Abby Brady, Ashley Cloward, Grace Erickson, Sam Furst, Presley Gerner, Elle Hagen, Olivia Hulme, Eden Jacobs, Isabel Lucas, Jacquelyn Marsh, Kiara Nelson, Eisley Nestman, Mazie Purser, Maddie Ross, Macie Savage, Katie Shaffer, Sierra Strong, Saige Talbot and Grace Weichers.