Running can do more than help keep a person in shape.

It can help structure a person’s life.

Just ask Mike Kolor and Natalie Dell.

Seneca Valley and Freeport graduates, respectively, Kolor and Dell were recently named the top 2016 male and female winners in the Butler Road Race scholarship program.

All 40 applicants will receive scholarship money through the BRR program, with Kolor and Dell getting the most.

“When you consider how many great runners and student-athletes are in Butler County, I’m honored by this,” Kolor said.

Kolor was a four-time track and field MVP and two-time cross country at Seneca Valley. He was valedictorian of his 572-member senior class and sported a 5.58 grade point average. He is headed to Harvard University to major in Applied Mathematics.

Kolor was high scorer all four years in the Math League at SV. He was also secretary of student government for a year. He won the 800 and 1,600 meter event at the WPIAL Championships and finished second in the 1,600 at the state meet.

“Running is all about discipline and it helps develop time management in everything you do,” Kolor said. “Both of my older sisters ran track and I grew up wanting to do the same thing.

“I went out for track in seventh grade and wanted to be a sprinter. Then I tore my hamstring and didn’t want to make the explosive start a sprinter had to make out of the blocks, because of that hamstring. I switched to distance running and it all worked out.”

Dell was ranked near the top in academics in her graduating class of 137 at Freeport. She carried a 4.63 grade point average and plans to attend Grove City College to major in English.

A four-year member of the Yellowjacket cross country team and three-year track team member, Dell also spent four years in the Freeport Marching Band as a trumpet player. She was a four-year member of Key Club and the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.

“I attended a summer camp for running in ninth grade and fell in love with it,” Dell said. “We all support each other on the team at Freeport.

“It takes a special breed of person to do cross country. You have to push yourself. I ran all summer.”

She runs every day — three or four miles each day.

“Sometimes a few team members get together and run, sometimes I run by myself,” Dell said. “It burns off all of my frustrations. I love it.”

Along with her athletic and academic achievements, Dell has written a 243-page novel entitled “Chimney Sweep.”

“I developed the discipline to write that book through running,” she said. “There’s no way I could have sat down and written a book otherwise.”

Dell and Kolor both plan to run in the Butler Road Race, slated June 25 on Main Street downtown.

“Distance running is a time management event. Studies are a time management event,” BRR president Mike Franko said. “These are good kids.”

Both plan to run for a lifetime.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how well I can do running on my own,” Dell said. “I’m not going to run for a Grove City team next year, but I may after that.

“I’ll always be a runner. I look forward to running with my own kids someday.”

Kolor said he plans to get into coaching the sport down the road as well.

“I want to have the same positive impact on people that my coaches have had on me,” he said.

The total BRR scholarship money distributed this year is $16,700. Proceeds from the previous year’s race determine the total. Dell and Kolor receive $750 each, the other 38 applicants a bit less.

Over 23 years, the BRR has presented 741 scholarships worth a total of $389,550. The grade point average among those 741 students is 3.8.

The breakdown of presented scholarships over the years is: A-C Valley (9), Butler (171), Freeport (62), Karns City (38), Knoch (114), Mars (77), Moniteau (74), Seneca Valley (137) and Slippery Rock (59)

This year’s 40 scholarship awardees follow:

Butler — Evan McMahon, Kelsee Callihan, Claire Weiland, Kylie Sheppeck and Cecil Crouch

Freeport — Natalie Dell, Abigail Ohl, Tyler Ben, Noah Bowser, Landon Hacker, Nathan McCombs, Owen Parks

Karns City — Conrad Snyder

Knoch — Abigail Jones, Lauren Karenbauer, Julie Kasunic, Mandi Moxie, Brandon Grumski, Nicolas Helfer, Matthew Mellish, Zachary Misitis, Nathaniel Pettit

Mars — Hannah Kemper, Lukas Johansson, Evan Monteleone, Nathan Mrdjenovich, Ian Steward

Moniteau — Allison DeMatteis

Seneca Valley — Mara Dunning, Sarah Foster, Lindsey Laurune, Mariah Mack, Alyssa Nicklas, Michael Kolor, Grant McCarthy, Joseph Sloan, Clayton Taylor

Slippery Rock — Rebecca Ana, Darienne Yates, Tyler Yarington