Tamaqua’s Frances Kabana has athletic talent.

Anyone who has witnessed her run has seen that.

But few know about her academic abilities. That she is headed to Robert Morris University is evidence that her intelligence is also top-notch.

Robert Morris, located just outside of Pittsburgh, is a big research school and is ranked among the top universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report. RMU is also named after one of the signees of the Declaration of Independence.

With the Colonials, she will combine her love of running with her skill with numbers.

Kabana, who will study actuarial science, has been running for quite some time now. Tamaqua head track coach Tom Kanger saw her years ago and knew then that there would be a special athlete on his team in the future.

“She would come with her sister and her brother, and they were both very impressive runners for us, and here’s Frances learning the sport from her older siblings while she was in junior high school,” Kanger said.

“But you know she was a born leader. I truly mean that. She would run our practices when I was held up getting there. I would call her and say, ‘Hey, can you get the practices started until I get there?’ I knew what type of leadership qualities she was born with.”

Her classroom qualities are even more impressive.

For those wondering what a degree in actuarial science entails, it is the discipline that applies mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in insurance, finance, and other industries and professions.

More generally, actuaries apply rigorous mathematics to model matters of uncertainty. Actuaries are professionals trained in this discipline.

Her interests piqued in the subject matter when the school had an actuarial science major come to the school to speak. Emily Budinsky was the presenter and she was a former student at Tamaqua.

“She was so informative and it is intriguing,” said Kabana.

Kabana was sold on Robert Morris after one visit.

“It’s gorgeous,” she said. “I loved the atmosphere and it has all that I’m looking for in the academics. I can’t wait to run there. It’s a phenomenal school.

“I’m excited to run, both cross country and indoor track, too.”

Kabana said she will jump right into the athletic program and look to compete this fall.

With her graduating from Tamaqua soon, Kanger said it will be the end of a generation of Kabanas running at Tamaqua.

“She’s literally been with me since she was an infant two years old when she came with her siblings,” said Kanger.

“She’s led our team many times ... kept a lot of our relay teams together. The last time (Frances) was on our (800) relay team was down in (Shippensburg) two years ago when our team medaled … she made a lot of our runners better, definitely.”

Although the Blue Raiders didn’t get to run in a lot of the major meets this past season, Kabana did a personal best 1:02 in the 400. Kanger projects that she will eventually run a sub-one-minute in the event.

“Because of all that has happened with the (pandemic) and all the things going on, it was difficult to get to that sub-one,” said Kanger. “I was kind of surprised she didn’t go under (one-minute) … that was the goal to get her under it. No question, she is very capable of doing it.”

Her running ability, along with her academics, have put her in the upper echelon.

“That’s the reason (academics) for her getting to (Robert Morris) ... The teachers speak highly of her, the other athletes, and her parents speak highly of her,” said Kanger. “It’ll be tough to replace (her).”

Indeed, Frances Kabana made her mark at Tamaqua - in running and scholastically. Now she will take that skill set and run with it at Robert Morris.