BUTLER TWP — Angelina Palmero was like most little girls.

She had a bicycle with training wheels and a pink basket.

She rode her bike for fun and enjoyment. As she grew a little older, peddling her way up steep hills on a mountain bike was her way of spending more time with her father and mother, who were both avid cyclists.

Little did the Butler High School senior know at the time, riding a bike would make her very much unlike most girls.

“I never realized it would lead me to a Division I mountain biking school,” Palermo said.

But it did. Friday, Palermo, 17, signed her letter of intent to attend Marian University in Indianapolis, Ind., on a partial cycling scholarship.

Marian has a legacy in the sport that few schools can match. The Knights have won 23 cycling national championships.

“I'm just really excited to be a part of the team next year,” Palermo said. “I just never thought that would be in my future until last year when I started to race in high-end races. That's when I realized I might have a chance.”

Marian coach Dean Peterson is happy to have her.

“We are quite impressed with Angelina,” Peterson said. “(She) will bolster our women's off-road team.”

Palermo has been riding a mountain bike since she was 9, but it wasn't until several years ago that she blossomed into one of the best riders in the country.

In 2011 she won the Pennsylvania State Championship. In 2012, she defended her state title and added a Maryland state crown.

This year, she won the Pennsylvania state title for the third consecutive year and also finished third in the U.S. Cycling National Championships as well as third in the Vermont Catamount Classic.

These races aren't for the faint of heart. They are grueling, winding and hilly courses. The races typically cover 12 to 20 miles and can take more than two hours to complete.

Some of the races have jumps, which caught Palermo a bit off-guard.

“They started adding jumps to the bigger races,” Palermo said. “We built jumps in my backyard to practice.”

Palermo competes in two kinds of races: super-D and cross country.

A super-D race is mostly downhill and requires technical expertise while cross country race routes feature a variety of terrain.

Palermo excels at both. That success has come by no accident. She trains very hard throughout the year, both on a mountain bike across trails throughout Butler County and Pennsylvania and on a training bike in her home.

“I have a coach who gives me training workouts online,” Palermo said. “When I'm in school, it's tough with homework and everything. I do three training sessions during the week and two on the weekend.”

Her next race this year will come on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when she takes on the Pittsburgh Dirty Dozen.

It's a race that covers the 13 most challenging hills in Pittsburgh and can take as long as seven hours to complete.

Two years ago, Palermo was the youngest female to ever complete the race.

“It really is grueling,” Palermo said. “You go up these hills and they are so steep. When you go up, you think you are going over them, but then you go around a bend and you are still going up.”

Palermo has some lofty goals for her first collegiate season.

“I have a chance to win a national championship next year,” Palermo said. “I'm just so excited.”