Ryan Cerrone, 19, of New Tripoli, recently competed and won the Finger Lakes 50s race in upstate New York.

Cerrone, a Northwestern Lehigh High School graduate from the class of 2014 said he crossed the finish line with a time of 10:21:35 finishing 12th place overall and winning first place in his age group of 19 and under.

"I am happy I was able to experience something like this as it truly was a remarkable experience," Cerrone said. "It pushed my body past limits I thought I could no longer push by.

I was able to learn a lot about myself during those 50 miles and have since learned the true power of the mind and what the body is capable of."

Cerrone said he ran cross country and track (long mid/long distance) in high school, all four years (varsity).

"I started to do cross country in seventh grade to stay in shape for soccer at the time, but ended up quitting soccer to pursue my running career in high school," he stated.

He said he also ran in the PA Grand Canyon Marathon in August 2014.

"Currently I do not know what my next race will be, but I am hoping it will be another ultra marathon whether it is a 50km, 50 miler, or 100km," Cerrone stated.

Cerrone, who is interning at Sharp Packaging Solutions with its engineering group, is a full time student at Penn State University at the main campus studying computer engineering. He is expected to graduate in May 2018.

This summer with working full time and training, Cerrone does not have much time, but when he does, he enjoys being outdoors it is hiking, biking, or playing pick up sports with friends.

"When I'm at college, I enjoy going to sporting events and exploring the town," he said.

The son of Maryjane and Tony Cerrone of New Tripoli, he has a sister Rachele.