Wherever she was going to attend college, there was one thing Northwestern senior Rachele Cerrone was sure about. She was going to run cross country.

When she took a trip to the University of Pittsburgh last November, Cerrone fell in love with the cross country team just as much as the academics aspect of the school. On Wednesday, Cerrone and seven other Tigers were recognized at the Tigers' ceremonial signing at Northwestern High School."I'm really exciting to run in college," Cerrone said. "It's going to be a great experience, especially just running at the collegiate level with all of the competition and all of the support."I knew I was going to run wherever I was going to go to college. I fell in love with their campus. They have a lot of great opportunities for me there."Cerrone's plan is to major in the health care field. Once she knew Pitt offered a number of choices in that field, joining the cross country team followed suit."I was looking at it more for academics," Cerrone said. "They have what I want to do. [Pitt] is a health care school. I really just love the campus and the setting."Cerrone, a four-year runner for the Tigers, also had an in with the Panthers prior to her visit. Kelsey Coates, an Emmaus High School graduate who volunteered on the Tigers' cross country staff last year, ran at Pitt as well.So, when Coates introduced Cerrone to the coaching staff, there was an instant connection from both parties."We had a volunteer coach here, and she ran for them," Cerrone said. "I kind of had connections there. She really loved it and everything. The coach was really nice. I just fell in love with it."I met the coach in late November and during cross country season at states."Cerrone ended her career as a Tiger with an 11th-place (21:08.75) finish in leagues and a 21st-place (21:06.70) finish at the District 11 Class AA Cross Country Championships. In the final race of her career, she placed 36th at states in a time of 20:47 and helped the Tigers finish fourth as a team.The 2014 season was the second time that Cerrone earned all-league honors with her second team selection. She was a first team all-star as a junior.As an athlete herself, Cerrone plans to major in physical therapy and pursue a career that involves working with other athletes."I'm interested in the health care field," Cerrone said. "I think it would be fun to work with athletes and stuff."Her parents are Anthony and Maryjane Cerrone.