FREEPORT — Kayla Zboran is as unique as the cross country courses she runs.

Zboran, a sophomore at Freeport High, can play five musical instruments. She also sings in the choir, acts in plays and dabbles in microbiology on the side.

Oh, and she's a pretty good runner as well.

"I'd like to say those traits define me," Zboran said. "There's not a lot of people who can say they play five instruments, are in plays and a choir group and do scientific experiments."

Not many can run 3.1 miles in less than 20 minutes, either.

She did it again Tuesday, finishing in 19 minutes, 22 seconds, which was six seconds off the school record she set as a freshman in 2009.

Running runs in the Zboran family.

Her parents, Joe and Beth, are avid runners. Her first race was as a 5-year-old at the Ford City 5K.

She also credits Freeport coach Bob Livrone with helping her develop her running chops.

"My parents are definitely a valuable resource for me," Zboran said. "Also my coach. He has significant knowledge of running. He's so helpful."

Her support group helped her through a painful hip injury she suffered during track and field season in the spring.

Instead of running 15 miles a day, Zboran was running 800 meters. Toss in a long winter, when she had trouble getting in valuable training time, and the muscles in Zboran's left hip were strained.

She wasn't back to full speed until June.

"With the track injury, her training time took a hit," Livrone said. "But she's gained it all back."

And Zboran is back on track to meeting some of her lofty goals.

Last year, she finished second in the WPIAL, five seconds out of first place. At the PIAA Cross Country Championships, she came in a disappointing 34th place.

"Her goal is to win the WPIAL," Livrone said. "She's a heck of a competitor."

And Zboran is very busy.

With the demands on her time because of her musical talents — she plays the trumpet, piano, flute, saxophone and piccolo, as well as singing — and her scientific pursuits, Zboran printed a daily calendar of her events and distributed it to her teachers and coach so everyone was on the same page.

For Zboran, cross country has become an escape from the demands on her time. Her thoughts rarely focus on anything other than the race at hand and the course she is running.

"She has a lot of natural ability," Livrone said. "But she works very hard and is dedicated."

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Kill machines — Volleyball players piled up plenty of kills this week.Butler's Christina Farmer recorded 15 in a win over Hampton Wednesday. Freeport's Ashley Sample had 17 against Kittanning in a match that lasted only three games.•

The usual suspects — Slippery Rock High's Brett Rinker and Brian Giesler, and Grove City High's Ryan Prokay have been blazing a trail of low scores across golf courses in Western Pennsylvania.The trio shot in the low 70s this week to advance to the PIAA Western Regional.