JONESBORO, Ark. (6/10/26) – Arkansas State women’s tennis standout Sarah Millard has been recognized among the nation’s top student-athletes, earning the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Overall Female Postgraduate Scholarship while also collecting ITA Central Region honors with the Arthur Ashe Leadership & Sportsmanship Award and the ITA Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award.
 
“I not only feel honored but blessed to be a recipient of these great honors,” Millard said. “Competing in the Sun Belt throughout my collegiate career has been a privilege and being part of a program where a culture of growth and competitiveness was encompassed helped me grow as both a person and player. I accept these awards with the intent to inspire other student-athletes by proving that it is possible to thrive both inside and outside of their sport. I owe the greatest debt of gratitude to Coach Lama and the selection committees for providing me such an opportunity.”
 
An Arkansas State University graduate of Spring 2026, Millard earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology. This fall, she begins her pursuit for a Doctorate of Occupational Therapy while transitioning to a graduate assistant coach with A-State tennis.
 
“Sarah has truly built the foundation of our program and set the standard for what it means to represent Arkansas State women’s tennis,” A-State head coach Sujay Lama said. “The way she has competed, led, and carried herself on and off the court is exactly why she’s earned these honors. We couldn’t be more proud of her and the legacy she leaves within our program.”
 
A four-year letterwinner for the Red Wolves, Millard helped lead A-State to its first postseason appearance in program history and the UTR NIT Championship. Millard closed out her senior season with a 15-7 head-to-head singles record and a 15-14 record in doubles. Over her career, she totaled 41 victories in singles and 48 in doubles. Across her four seasons, she played a key role in elevating the program’s success, helping A-State increase its win total from two in 2023 to 16 in 2026 – the program’s highest single-season total since 2002.
 
Millard is one of eight Sun Belt student-athletes selected as postgraduate scholarship recipients this year. The scholarships are awarded to selected student-athletes with stated intentions to pursue a graduate degree following the completion of their undergraduate requirements and are sent directly to the graduate school of each recipient’s choice. The recipients were selected by the Sun Belt Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, which is comprised of Faculty Athletic Representatives from across the conference. Millard’s scholarship is for $9,750.
 
To be eligible for the Sun Belt Conference Postgraduate Scholarships, nominees must have exhausted eligibility, been declared or designated a varsity letterwinner in a Sun Belt-sanctioned sport at a member institution for at least two seasons and achieved a minium undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
 
The ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award recognizes outstanding student-athletes in all five divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO) at the regional and national level. This prestigious award, which dates back to 1982, is presented to the men’s and women’s national student-athletes who have exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and leadership, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and tennis achievements.
 
The ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship goes to a Division I women’s player who displays inspiring dedication and commitment to her team, which has enhanced her team’s performance and exemplified the spirit of college tennis. It dates back to 1997 and is in memory of the late and widely admired Penn women’s tennis coach Cissie Leary.
 
National award winners for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award and the ITA/Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship will be announced by the ITA on Tuesday, June 16.
 

2026 Sun Belt Conference Postgraduate Scholarship Recipients

Overall Female Postgraduate Award Winner:
Sarah Millard, Arkansas State (Women’s Tennis)

Overall Male Postgraduate Award Winner:
Caemon Scott, Louisiana (Men’s Track and Field)

Postgraduate Scholarship Award Recipients:

Jack Betz, Marshall (Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country)
Abbey Bull, Marshall (Women’s Golf)
Makenna Calbert, Troy (Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country)
Emma Davis, Georgia Southern (Softball)
Maddie Ellis, Southern Miss (Women’s Soccer)
Katie McCormick, Old Dominion (Women’s Soccer)