Tijerina, a four-year sprinter for the Warhawk women's track and field team, was one of UW-Whitewater's top 400-meter dash runners during her tenure with the program. In 2018, she garnered All-WIAC, All-Midwest Region and All-America honors as a member of the team's top 4x400-meter relay, which placed eighth at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The same group earned all-conference and All-Region accolades during the 2018 outdoor season and placed 12th at the national meet. Tijerina reached the WIAC podium in the 400 twice as an individual in 2018, placing eighth at the indoor meet and fourth at the outdoor meet. She placed 13th in the 400 and fifth in the 4x400 at the 2019 WIAC Outdoor Championships and finished 20th in the 400 at the 2020 WIAC Indoor Championships. Tijerina is majoring in communication.