Returning Home: Allison Stigarll Finds Success and Family in Transfer to UNT

When Allison Stigarll transferred to North Texas from Little Rock, she expected her performance and her mindset to benefit. What she couldn't see coming though was how fast her decision would pay off.

A native of Mansfield, Texas, Stigarll spent two seasons at Little Rock, but was continuously missing home. In the middle of her first season competing for the Trojans, a family tragedy occurred that affected her mentally and physically.

"In the spring semester of my freshman year my second-oldest sister passed away," Stigarll said. "Going back to try and finish the season was hard. I ended up missing the indoor conference championships and my first couple outdoor meets were rough. I was never able to get back into my stride there."

After her sophomore season at Little Rock, Stigarll decided it was time to move closer to home and settled on North Texas. Despite a coaching change that saw Marco Brown take over as the throwers coach, Stigarll remained committed to UNT. Her memories of former high school teammates coming to North Texas who enjoyed their experience and being closer to home played a role in her decision to stick with the Mean Green.

"I didn't transfer here for a coach," Stigarll said. "I transferred here to be at North Texas, so I wanted to stay and figure everything out."

The decision has paid off for Stigarll and North Texas. In the indoor season, Stigarll set her personal best in the weight throw on her first attempt of her UNT debut before topping that mark three more times during the meet. She capped off her first season with the Mean Green by taking third place at the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championships with a school-record throw of 19.25 meters.

It was the biggest confidence boost," Stigarll said. "I'm not going to say I never thought I would be in that position, but I didn't think it would come as soon as it did. Breaking the school record was a long time coming. Every indoor meet that we went to I told myself it was coming down."

"She shocked all of us at the indoor championships," Brown said. "I knew she was going to throw around 18.50 or 18.60, but I didn't know she was going to go out and throw 19 meters. That was different, but it goes to show the determination and willpower she has."

She has kept the momentum going in the outdoor season climbing up the UNT records list in the women's hammer throw. The first four meets of the season saw Stigarll top previous personal bests with her best throw of the season coming at the Bryan Clay Invitational at 57.19 meters.

"It was amazing just watching it; it was contagious," teammate Dionna James said. "Seeing her get after it made everyone else want to get after it too. Seeing how she overcame obstacles to be able to do that every week was inspiring to watch."

While Stigarll's performance was shining, her contributions as a teammate have been just as important for the Mean Green.

"She kind of gives you that team mother instinct," Brown said. "She wants everyone else to do as well as she wants herself to do and as a coach you can't help but appreciate that."

Brown also says the North Texas throws group is the closest one he's ever coached. It's the family environment Stigarll was searching for after leaving Little Rock.

"This is by far the most fun throws group I have ever been a part of," Stigarll said. "They have a lot of personalities, and everyone has their own things. They put me in a position where I feel comfortable and in a family environment. That is one of the biggest things I need in a unit."

As the outdoor season draws to a close, Stigarll has already accomplished many of the goals she set out to achieve before arriving at North Texas. Ranked No. 3 in the conference heading into the meet in the hammer throw, she is confident she can cross off a few more goals Friday by capturing another podium finish and school record.

"I could tell from my first phone conversation with her that she was hungry and determined," Brown said. "Sometimes just off an athlete's personality you can tell they are destined to do great things. She has come in and accomplished a lot of her goals. The last couple goals on her list are to finish top three at the outdoor championships and qualify for the NCAA West Prelims. She is very capable of doing both, it's just a matter of getting them done these next couple weeks."

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Returning Home: Allison Stigarll Finds Success and Family in Transfer to UNT

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Dionna James

Allison Stigarll

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