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It wasn't exactly the kind of college send-off that Juan Diego's Ryan Kempin was hoping for, nor was it the ideal way for Bear River's Steffen Rigby to win a state tennis championship.

But an unfortunate injury at the Class 3A boys' tournament will definitely alter the script.

That's what happened Saturday in St. George, when Kempin, in pursuit of his second straight crown in 1st Singles, dislocated his shoulder in the finals against Rigby. After Kempin won the first set 6-3, the match was on the verge of going to a third set because Rigby was up 5-1 in the second.

"I dislocated it and then popped it back into place," said Kempin, who will go on to Notre Dame for college. "I was definitely disappointed, but I had to weigh the risks of it and the future benefit."

The risk of damaging his ability to play in the future was one factor in Kempin's decision to retire from the match, but — on the positive side — his team's place in the overall standings was the other.

When his younger brother, Connor Kempin, wrapped up the 2nd Singles bracket with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 win over Grantsville's Matt Waldron, and Juan Diego's Ben Agrelius wrapped up 3rd Singles with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Park City's Connor Burke, the Soaring Eagle had already clinched the 3A team title.

"I knew we had clinched, and I have my college tennis to think about," Ryan Kempin said. "So I just decided it wasn't worth it."

Meanwhile, Rigby achieved, in an odd way, what he came close to on a couple of occasions. Though he was unable to beat Kempin during the season, both earlier contests were tight — a 7-5, 6-4 match and a three-set meeting.

"I think the whole day I was keeping the intensity high," said Rigby, who was only two points away from winning the second set. "I felt really good about that set. Of course, the third set could have gone either way."

Last year, Juan Diego was nipped in the team category by two points, falling to Snow Canyon. This time, it was a two-point win for the Soaring Eagle, as its 19 points beat out Park City's 17.

Park City won both of the doubles brackets, with Spencer Kunkel and Charlie Lambert beating Grantsville's Nate Beckett and Isaac Hamm 7-5, 6-4 in the 1st Doubles finale and the pair of Brennan French and Jack Lecher knocking off Dixie's Taylor Bottema and Daniel Bethers 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the 2nd Doubles championship.

"The kids played great today," said Juan Diego coach Art Miyazuki. "We returned all seven kids, and they were anxious to get back and try it again." —

Class 3A boys' tennis championships

Team standings • 1. Juan Diego 19, 2. Park City 17, 3. Grantsville 13, 4. Dixie 9, 5. Bear River 7.

1st Singles • Steffen Rigby, Bear River def. Ryan Kempin, Juan Diego 3-6, 5-1 (ret.)

2nd Singles • Connor Kempin, Juan Diego def. Matt Waldron, Grantsville 3-6, 6-1, 6-0

3rd Singles • Ben Agrelius, Juan Diego def. Connor Burke, Park City 6-2, 6-1

1st Doubles • Spencer Kunkel/Charlie Lambert, Park City def. Nate Beckett/Isaac Hamm, Grantsville 7-5, 6-4

2nd Doubles • Brennan French/Jack Lecher, Park City def. Taylor Bottema/Daniel Bethers, Dixie 2-6, 6-3, 6-3