Higgins was the eighth and final qualifier after a preliminary round that included three throws by each of the 14 competitors. She quickly took over the lead in the finals with her best toss of the day, which ended up being good for fifth place in the event. Higgins surpassed her own school record by almost three feet with a toss of 151'-5".

Higgins' medal at the USA junior nationals comes on the heels of her all-America performance at the NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships last month. She was runner-up in the javelin, the highest finish ever by a Mustangs at the NAIA national meet.