Four Lincoln East High School senior standouts reflect on historic run
The Lincoln East High School boys’ tennis team has claimed the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) state title for the past five years.
Senior Hunter Nelson was a big part of it the previous four years with his 139-0 record. He is the first four-time state singles champion in Class A since the 1980s. As he looks back on his storied career, he will miss the friendships he shared on and off the court.
“I will miss practicing and competing with them, knowing we all had the same goal to get better,” Nelson said. “What stands out the most is the relationships I made with teammates and coaches from not only my team but other teams as well.”
Nelson and fellow Lincoln East seniors Simon Johnson, Kayden Le and Samarth Sajeesh all played a big part in contributing to the team’s success. The four of them go back years, as they grew up playing tennis together.
“Every single year I was at East, I had a very strong bond with many kids on our team,” Sajeesh said. “This made us stronger in those tough moments during meets or at state. And also made us enjoy the funny moments more like having team dinners together or going out to restaurants.”
Johnson and Sajeesh won the No. 1 doubles bracket, while Le and Brad Bobaru won the No. 2 doubles title. Both of those tandems went undefeated this season.
Head Coach Chris Stock said he is most impressed by the players’ offseason work ethic and love of tennis that built a foundation at Lincoln East for years to come.
“You really cannot manufacture this inner drive; it has to come from within,” he said. “These guys did it. These guys showed what can happen if you put your mind and your actions towards being great.”
(Left to right): Simon Johnson, Kayden Le, Samarth Sajeesh and Hunter Nelson grew up playing tennis together. They capped a dominant four-year run at Lincoln East High School with a team state title and unbeaten seasons.
Johnson, Le, Nelson and Sajeesh play USTA tournaments as well as they build their tennis resumes. Johnson noted the high school team setting is unique and will be hard to replicate in college or club tennis.
“High school is different because you have a team behind you, and in USTA (tournaments) you’re mainly on your own,” Johnson said. “I will miss practicing with them because we all got better when we practiced together.”
Added Sajeesh: “I had some very tough matches. Because I was playing for my school and because of the number of student and parent spectators, it definitely was some of the most pressure situations that I have played in my life.”
As the seniors prepare to graduate from high school in May, they are thankful for the friendships and camaraderie they’ve shared over the past four years. And they hope to continue their tennis careers in one way or another.
“I plan to play D-I tennis wherever that may be, hoping I can find a good environment where I get along with everyone and can continue to play and get better at tennis,” Nelson said.
Added Sajeesh: “My plans for next year is to study business analytics, finance or entrepreneurship at a top undergraduate business program. I would definitely play tennis in college either as a varsity athlete or a club-level player.”
Stock said he’s excited to see how these seniors thrive in their futures, whether it be competitive college tennis or just their interests that they pursue beyond high school.
“I will continue to root for all of their successes,” Stock said.
View full results from the 2025 NSAA boys’ tennis state championships by clicking here. Check out additional USTA Nebraska news by clicking here.
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