Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Tigert running for all of Northern

Montana State University-Northern cross country has had quite the season this year. From intense courses and running in a blizzard to a conference showdown in Billings, the Northern harriers have been good.

But there is still one more big thing that happened on the women's team - having freshman Allison Tigert compete in the NAIA Nationals in Vancouver, Washington Friday. Tigert was the only individual runner to earn an at-large berth out of the Frontier Conference and could not be happier to be able to race at such a high level.

"I'm super excited," said Tigert. "I'm a little nervous, but I think the competition is going to be really new and exciting. It's going to be a great change and I'm excited for this opportunity, for sure."

Tigert has done a lot this season besides qualifying for nationals. At the Frontier Conference Championship, she ran a time of 19:39.70 and finished in 11th place. Tigert raced through an insane blizzard in the Battle of the Border, too. She finished first in the women's race with a 22:02. An incredible season as a freshman has led her to compete with the best-of-the-best Friday.

Not only is her athleticism remarkable, but so is her character. Tigert is a passionate competitor and a spark when it comes to cross country. Running is in her blood and it is clear that it is in her soul, too. The competition is a rush of many different thrills that fuel her great performances.

MSU-N head coach Chad Spangler is proud to see how much Tigert has done this year and what she will do in her future.

"As a freshman collegiate runner, I'm really impressed with what she's done in such a short time," said Spangler. "I'm really excited about her future and proud of her accomplishments in qualifying for nationals."

When it comes to the grand stage of cross country, Tigert has surely left a major impact on her team, as well as the Frontier. The best part is that Tigert still has a good amount of time left with Northern. The wild ride is not over for Tigert, it is just getting started.

And now, Tigert is preparing for her appearance on the course in Vancouver, where she will look to give it everything she has got. But, before the big race, Havre Daily News caught up with the standout harrier for five questions.

HDN: How did you get into cross country?

Tigert: "I started cross country because I always loved to run. My mom loves to run, so I feel like it's just in the genes. My family just loves to run. I did use to do soccer and I was, like, let's do cross country, because I wanted to condition myself for soccer. I ended up loving cross country way more than soccer, so I stuck with cross country throughout high school and ended up quitting soccer because I loved cross country so much."

HDN: What is your mindset for each race?

Tigert: "My mindset is to just always better my time. It's not always about place, but for some races, like conference, it is. I always just want to better my time and stay consistent throughout the race."

HDN: What are your goals for next season?

Tigert: "Obviously, I want my team to really develop. I want us to be stronger. For individual, I just want to make it to nationals again, hopefully. That would be great. As well as try to place Top 10 in conference"

HDN: What are your hobbies outside of cross country?

Tigert: "I love to work out with different exercises. I like to cycle outside of cross country and just hanging out with family and friends."

HDN: What has been your favorite race to run this season?

Tigert: "I love the Billings course, which is also the conference course. That's definitely one of my favorite races I would say."