On a given day, Sara Christensen attends school at Thomas MacLaren, drives to flag football practice at Coronado, and then drives back for volleyball practice with the Highlanders.

Those days can be long, but Christensen is used to it.

The Thomas MacLaren senior is a five-sport athlete, playing volleyball and flag football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and track and soccer in the spring. Furthermore, she excels at these sports.

Last spring, she became the Highlanders’ first track and field state champion for the 100-meter hurdles and placed second in the 300 hurdles.

“You can always rely on her to get the job done,” volleyball coach Laura Hassell said. “She is a smart heads-up player and executes. Her overall sports IQ is so high. She has such a good competitive edge, and just knows how to see things differently.”

Last week, Christensen led the Highlander volleyball team (0-1) in kills (20) in Thomas MacLaren’s first game, a 3-2 loss to Florence. For Coronado (2-1), she leads the flag football team in interceptions (four), including two in back-to-back games, and leads the team in touchdowns (three).

Christensen plays for Coronado since Thomas MacLaren does not have a flag football team.

Despite the pressure that may come with balancing two sports in one season, this week’s Gazette Peak Performer is focusing on having fun in her senior year, something the volleyball team hasn’t done well in the past.

“The reason why I play sports is because I love them and want to have fun,” Christensen said. “It’s not about winning, it’s about having fun for me. We were so set on winning every game last season but now it’s about having fun, playing together, and the wins will come.”

As a team captain for volleyball, Christensen has disseminated that message of having fun to her teammates while setting a high standard for herself.

“She is such a go-getter and hard worker, it amazes me how much her talent grows every year,” Hassell said. “She is super consistent and her work ethic is hard to match. She has a positive outlook toward what she does. She expects big things for herself but can still shake off a mistake.”

When asked about her 20-kill match, Christensen was quick to bring it back to her teammates and how the team played well together, rather than her performance.

The volleyball team has a close bond this year, with several of the seniors having known each other since the sixth grade. The team is rooting for Christensen in flag football, even naming plays after football terms.

Christensen may be tired after flag football practice sometimes, but showing up for her volleyball teammates always makes it worth it. Besides her stellar stats, that leadership makes Christensen a model Peak Performer.

“From previous years I realized leaders lead by example, so I try to do that,” Christensen said. “Be happy, have fun. I love every single girl I play with and I think we have a lot of potential this year. We are having a lot of fun together already, which will help us go far.”