CARY— The defending champions in both singles and doubles successfully held on to their crowns in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association women’s state 1-A tennis championships at the Cary Tennis Center on Saturday morning.

Kasey Mabe of North Stokes repeated as the singles champion and Jeanne-Marie LaBorde and Jessica Eblen of Hendersonville once again teamed to win in doubles.

Mabe downed Maggie Ronan of Kernersville Bishop McGuiness by 6-1, 6-1 in the singles final, improving her individual singles mark to 26-1 overall.

The North Stokes standout won the 1-A singles championship in 2004, was the runner-up in ’03 and a member of a state championship doubles team in 2002.

LaBorde and Eblen, who did not lose a single game in two matches on Friday’s opening day, defeated Laken Joyce and Tanna Tilley of North Stokes in the doubles final, 6-2, 6-3, and remained unbeaten on the season at 16-0. The Joyce-Tilley team lost for only the second time this season.

Eblen played in the doubles championship in each of her four years of high school tennis. The Eblen-LaBorde duo won it all last year, she teamed with Mary Elizabeth Rouse to win the doubles crown in 2003 and was on the runner-up team in 2002.

Wendy’s and Ford are the presenting sponsors of the NCHSAA sports program.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2005 WOMEN’S STATE 1-A TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Cary Tennis Center, Cary

Saturday’s Results

Singles Championship

Kasey Mabe (North Stokes) def. Maggie Ronan (Kernersville Bishop McGuiness) 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles Championship

Jessica Eblen-Jeanne Marie LaBorde (Hendersonville) def. Laken Joyce-Tanna Tilley (North Stokes) 6-2, 6-3.