BURLINGTON, N.C. — Seaforth captured its first girls tennis dual-team state championship on October 31, defeating West Henderson 5-1 in the North Carolina 5A final at Burlington Tennis Center.
The Hawks secured victories in five of the six singles matches, clinching the team championship before doubles competition was needed. Mackenzie Wray, Ella Kreinar, Tatum Dell, Ellie Kristiansen and Charlotte Bowman each contributed a singles win.
Wray’s match at No. 1 singles provided one of the closest finishes. After dropping the first set to Madi Burleson 3-6, Wray responded 6-4 in the second and won the deciding match tiebreak 10-8. She received the championship’s Most Valuable Player honor.
The title completed a postseason run that included an eastern regional championship for Seaforth. Another Chatham County program, Chatham Charter, also reached a state final, finishing runner-up in 1A after a 5-0 loss to NCSSM-Morganton on October 30.
Seaforth’s victory gave the school a landmark championship and showed the value of lineup depth: the Hawks were able to clinch the title with contributions from five different singles positions.
