He placed among the top 25 in the junior men's race at the 1996 IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Later that year, he finished in ninth place in the men's 1500 meters at the 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics.
Balgač was recruited by Southern Methodist University, where he qualified for multiple NCAA Championships.
At the 2003 NCAA DI Indoor Track and Field Championships, he ran the 3000 meters and the 1600-meter leg in Southern Methodist's DMR team.
[3] He helped his team finish in fourth in the distance medley relay with a time of 9:33.46.