Carroll cross country signs Oregon recruit

Carroll College cross country coach Bill Ballinger has completed recruitment for the 2008 season with the signing of Tara Higgins from Portland, Oregon.

Higgins is an accomplished athlete from St. Mary's Academy, one of the most prominent high school Cross Country programs in the Northwest.

This past fall she helped lead her team to first place in the elite Nike Team National (NTN) Western Region Championships and 10th place the following week in the NTN National Championships. She has competed at the varsity level in cross country for four years and three years in track and field.

"We are extremely fortunate to have landed an accomplished athlete this late in the 2008 recruitment year," Ballinger said. "We had an athlete decide to not come back to Carroll next fall which enabled us to open up some scholarship dollars for Tara. She will make an immediate contribution to our women's squad this fall."

Higgins graduated with a 3.4 GPA and plans on majoring in Education. Her high school coaches were Mike Bojorquez and Mike Bergmann (father of current Racing Saint Taylor Bergmann).

Her parents are Michael Higgins and Mary Kay Gaffney.

Carroll cross country currently has 25 athletes on the roster for this fall, consisted of 14 women and 11 men.

Puyear, Day finish in top 10 at state jr. golf

Helena High golfer Chris Puyear shot 85-87 to finish eighth and Colter Day shot 88-78 to finish ninth out of 22 golfers in the 14- and 15-year-old age division at Larchmont Golf Course in Missoula, Monday and Tuesday. Brandon McIver from Billings carded 76-71 to win the age division.

-- Independent Record