KEARNEY - Exchanging her red and black for blue and gold, senior Talissa Tanquary signed her letter of intent to compete in cross country and track at the University of Nebraska-Kearney in front of family, friends and teammates at the Sidney High School Media Center on Monday afternoon. 

"I'm super excited to sign," Tanquary said. "I've always wanted to sign somewhere for running."

Tanquary chose the Lopers over Concordia. She says UNK's campus is what drew her to commit to the central Nebraska university. 

"It's not too far, not too close to home and I really like the town," Tanquary said. "It has what I want to do in the future with healthcare. I love the team. I bonded really well with them on the visit."

She plans to major in nursing at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. 

Tanquary medaled at the Nebraska School Activities Association State Cross Country Championships all four years of her high school career, including a third place finish at the state meet in October. She finished fourth during her sophomore and junior seasons and 12th in her freshman year. 

She'll attempt to make it four consecutive trips to the state track and field meet this spring.