Mark Dynek wasnât expected to play in the state Class A boys tennis tounament, which Lincoln East wasnât expected to win.

But both came came through as the Spartans earned their first state championship in boys tennis Friday at Omahaâs Dewey Park.

Lincoln East, which failed to crown an individual champion, finished with a 43 and a half-38 advantage over defending champion Lincoln Southeast. Kearney, whose Shane Jensen won No. 1 singles and Brian Downing No. 2 singles was third with 34 points.

"Iâve never seen a team with so much desire and mental toughness," Lincoln East Coach Jeff Hoham said Friday. "You cant believe how badly they wanted to win."

Dynek provided the Spartansâ emotional lift, Hoham said by filling in for the injured Andy Stock as Rick Stempsonâs No.1 doubles partner. Dynek was Eastâs seventh-ranked singles player during the season, Hoham said.

"Mark took the pressure off of us," Hoham said. "He and Rick had three days to play together. They practiced extra hours and I think their greatest compliment came from those people who were saying ÎYour doubles team plays very well together.â"

Dynek and Stempson - last yearâs No.2 singles champion - advanced to Friday morningâs semifinals before losing and finished third as did Spencer Hilsabeck in No.2 singles.

Eastâs finalists were Brad Burnthal, who lost to Kearneyâs Jensen 6-2, 6-2 in No.1 singles, and the No. 2 doubles team of Greg Lundstrom and Mark Jones , who fell to Southeastâs Todd Peterson and Beau Finley 6-4, 6-1.

"It didnât make a difference that we didnât win a final," Hoham said. "All that mattered today was that we played as a team."

Jensen, a senior, said his decision over Burnthal was tougher than the score showed. "I put in a lot of first serves and I got intense," Jensen said. Jensen said the state high school title means more to him than winning state summer junior tournaments.

"Itâs like winning Wimbledon,"Jensen said. "Stefan Edberg-type stuff. The state high school tournament is bigger than any other tournament because of the publicity it gets. This is where itâs all at."

Jensen struggled with Omaha Burkeâs Shane McDermott in the semi-finals before winning 6-2,7-5. He was the first Kearney player to win a state No.1 singles titile since Larry Marshall was the 1958 Class B champion.

Southeastâs No.1 doubles team of Frank Hoppe and Jack Cole were the only top-seeded entry to win a title. They defeated Metro Conference champions Billy Tombrink and Jason Fredstrom of Burke 6-2,6-2, in the finals.

Hoppe had teamed with Mark Garcia to win the No.1 doubles title last year.

Downing defeated Omaha Westsidesâs Brandon Madson 6-1,3-6,6-2 in the No.2 singles final as Kearney became the first team in seven years to sweep the singles titles.