By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

JUNIOR national team standout Lilly Higgs will swim collegiately for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

Higgs announced her commitment to the Tar Heels' swimming and diving programme for the Fall 2018 season via Twitter.

"Very happy to announce my verbal commitment to a place that has always had a special spot in my heart can't wait to continue my academics and swimming career at UNC Chapel Hill! Thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way!!! #GOHEELS," she tweeted.

Higgs has represented the country at virtually every junior level meet including CARIFTA, CCCAN, Junior Pan Pacific Championships, Commonwealth Youth Games and most recently at the FINA Junior World Championships. She is currently the national record holder in the 50m breaststroke (32.52 seconds) and 100m breaststroke (1:11.18).

The Abaco native is currently in her high school senior season at William Amos Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina.

At the school she has garnered numerous accolades, most noteably becoming a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American. She has been a key member of the programme's back-to-back 4A state titles where she took bronze in the 200 IM (2:02.61) and silver in the 100m breaststroke (1:02.19). At the club level she competes with SwimMAC Carolina.

She is the daughter of Chris and Pleasants Higgs.

Her sister, Albury Higgs is currently a sophomore year at the University of South Carolina. As a freshman, she swam the 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 200m IM and 400 IM. She tallied 15 top-10 finishes throughout the regular season