(Columbia, Tenn. - July 7, 2011) - - - The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) has named six Columbia State Community College athletes as 2010-11 NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Award Recipients. These academic awards, previously known at the NJCAA Academic All-American honors, have been in place since 1983 and were established to recognize the success of student-athletes in the classroom.

Haley Mathis of Chapel Hill and member of the Columbia State softball team along with Kaleb Pitts of Summertown and member of the baseball team received the NJCAA Award for Superior Academic Achievement. The Superior Academic Achievement award recognizes student-athletes who earn a 3.80 to 3.99 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Columbia State softball players Kirstin Agent of Spring Hill and Rachel Harvill of Lyles in addition to basketball player Edgardo Prado Gonzalez of Baymon, Puerto Rico and baseball team member Jacob Ray of Columbia were awarded the NJCAA Award for Exemplary Academic Achievement. The Exemplary Academic Achievement award recognizes student-athletes who earn a 3.60 to 3.79 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

"This is an outstanding accomplishment for six of our student-athletes to be honored and named to the NJCAA Academic Student-Athlete Awards," said Louis Conner, director of athletics at Columbia State. "In addition to their dedication to their sport, these students have worked hard in the classroom to achieve their goals. Columbia State coaches and faculty are committed to working together to ensure that our students are successful both in the classroom and on the court or field."

For more information on the Columbia State Athletic Program, visit columbiastate.edu/sports, or contact Louis Conner, director of athletics at (931) 540-2632 or by emailing lconner@columbiastate.edu.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing body of two-year college athletics, offering endless athletic and academic opportunities to college students. It is the second largest national intercollegiate athletic organization in the United States with over 500 member schools in 43 states. Each year over 50,000 student-athletes compete in one of 28 different sports and the organization sponsors 48 national championship events and nine football bowl games each year. For more visit www.njcaa.org.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu.

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