NATCHEZ — Several Cathedral School tennis players are champions following the Class 1A South State tennis tournament Wednesday at Duncan Park.

The girls doubles team of Cami Willard and Davis Beard, the boys doubles team of Adam Blackwell and Dwain Perkins and girls singles player Madeline Beard all took home first place in the South State tournament.

Also, as a team, the Green Wave, coached by Henry Harris, finished in second place behind Sacred Heart of Hattiesburg.

The Green Wave will now advance to the State Tournament, which will be in Jackson.

The boys doubles team of Blackwell and Perkins had to win two matches to claim the title after receiving a bye in the first round.

They defeated Sacred Heart’s Damien Mercier and Sam Stevens in the semifinals and rolled to a very easy win over Steven Cialone and Carlton Cambell in the championship match.

The Green Wave’s Madeline Beard also rolled through the competition, taking a win over Sara Marcus of Bogue Chitto in the semifinals before handling Emily Nettles of Sacred Heart in the finals to claim the 1A South State championship in girls singles.

“I usually get nervous before matches no matter when I play,” Beard said. “I was really relieved that I was able to pull it out.”

Beard said she is looking forward to playing in the State Tournament in Jackson.

“I’m really excited about that,” she said. “Last year I went and had a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to it as well.”

Beard’s sister Davis Beard also claimed a championship, winning in the girls doubles competition with Willard.

They received a bye in the quarterfinals and defeated Katie Floyd and Amanda DaGozeny of St. Aloysius in the semis.

They then defeated the team of Elizabeth Farral and Greer Andrews of Sacred Heart in the finals to claim the title.

“(The finals) was really a good, tough match,” Willard said. “The team we played was really good, the best we’ve played so far. That match will definitely help us prepare for state.”

Willard, a freshman, said the entire team, which is very young, has come a long way since the beginning of the season.

“We’ve improved so much from the first match this year,” she said. “We had a lot of beginners that have improved so much as we’ve gone through the season. I’m so proud of the team.”