KARA HOCHEVAR

SCHOOL: Ambridge.

WHO IS SHE? A talented golfer and four-sport athlete for the Bridgers.

LAST WEEK: Hochevar finished 15th at the WPIAL golf championships at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel.

DIG THIS: Hochevar, a 5-foot-8 senior, also is a starter on the Ambridge girls' volleyball team that likely will make the playoffs. She hadn't played volleyball since eighth grade but decided to try the sport again this season.

"Our coach [Donna Pfeifer] had been asking me every year to play because she coached me in eighth grade," Hochevar said. "I noticed the golf season wasn't quite as long this season, so I decided to give volleyball another try."

THE LETTER IS: It wouldn't be an overstatement to call Hochevar one of the WPIAL's best athletes. She will finish her career with 13 varsity letters. She was a four-year starter in golf and basketball, where she averaged 14.3 points a game last season and made all-section. She also is an outstanding shortstop on Ambridge's softball team, a four-year starter and an all-section pick last season.

"I get asked all the time what my favorite is," Hochevar said. "I think I'm leaning toward softball in the future. That's the one I put the most time into. I'm talking to some colleges about softball."

IN THE SWING: Although softball might be Hochevar's favorite sport, she calls golf her most challenging.

"The course changes all the time in golf," she said. "In basketball, the court doesn't change. Plus, any little adjustment in your swing in golf can make such a big difference."

THE OTHER THINGS: Hochevar also is an outstanding student with a grade point average close to 4.0. She plans to major in pharmacy in college.

-- By Mike White

SCHOOL: Kiski Area.

WHO IS HE? One of the finest forwards in WPIAL boys' soccer. Lundberg, a senior, had 34 regular-season goals and led the Cavaliers to a 10-6-1 record and into the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs.

LATELY: In a key Section 1 matchup last week, Lundberg netted three goals in a 6-0 win at Hempfield.

WORLD TRAVELER: This past summer, Lundberg traveled with an Olympic Development team to Italy. Two summers ago, a local coach and native Englishman, James Meara, facilitated a trip for Lundberg to train for a period of time with the Queen's Park Rangers, a professional team in England.

"What you see overseas is more of a dedication to the sport from the players," Lundberg said. "The commitment we have isn't like theirs; they live and die soccer. And the speed over there is sometimes overwhelming."

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Lundberg transferred from Central Catholic to Kiski Area for his sophomore year. He was a member of the Post-Gazette All-Area team a year ago and has helped the Cavaliers to the WPIAL playoffs three consecutive seasons. Kiski Area did not qualify for the playoffs in the 10 previous seasons.

THE FUTURE: A stellar student, he has accepted a full scholarship to Duquesne. Lundberg said he'd also like to go to law school.

-- By Colin Dunlap