Sara Joy is happy she spent two years at Copiah-Lincoln Community College as she embarks on a new venture in Starkville, preparing for classes at Mississippi State.

It certainly came with its rewards.

Joy, a standout on the Co-Lin tennis team as a sophomore this past school year, was named an Academic All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association.

&uot;We are extremely proud of Sara and her accomplishments on and off the court,&uot; said Co-Lin President Dr. Howell Garner.

Students with cumulative grade point average of 3.6 or better on a 4.0 scale for 45 semester hours, completed three semesters of college work and lettered in one or more sports recognized by the NJCAA were eligible for nomination. Joy graduated with a 3.8 grade point average.

&uot;When it comes to work and play, academics definitely comes first,&uot; Joy said. &uot;I always try to keep my GPA up. But tennis taught me discipline and perseverance. Anything you want, you have to work hard for.&uot;

While at Co-Lin, the Adams County Christian School graduate was selected to Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges and a campus favorite. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Sigma Kappa Delta, and the Alpha Omega Science Club.

&uot;It was different being at Co-Lin because I had a lot more responsibility and was on my own,&uot; she said.

Joy, who is majoring in microbiology, has been a member of the Lady Wolves tennis team for two years and helped lead this year’s team to a 16th place finish at the NJCAA National Tennis Tournament in Tucson, Ariz.

&uot;During the spring it was tough keeping up with your studies because we were gone all the time,&uot; she said. &uot;I had to make up a lot of labs and those were really hard. But I really enjoyed playing tennis. I miss it like crazy. We had a really good team and great coach (Brenda Smith).&uot;

The Co-Lin team, which also has ACCS graduate Jennifer Bearry, received Academic Team of the Year honors by the National Junior College Athletic Association ranking No. 2 in the nation. This marks the second straight year the team has ranked in the top two teams in the nation. Joy won the state championship in the No. 4 singles her freshman year. She finished second in No. 2 singles as a sophomore, with her only loss of the year coming in the state finals.

&uot;I will probably play intramural tennis here, but right now I’m just trying to work,&uot; she said.

Despite her success, Joy is not planning on playing tennis at Mississippi State. The daughter of Steve Joy and Sharon Holloway turned down a tennis scholarship offer from Mississippi College.

&uot;I came up here (Starkville) and really liked it,&uot; she said.

&uot;Everybody is really friendly. And I always wanted to be a Bulldog.&uot;