JEFF ADAMS PHOTO | Tyler Cardillo leads the way during a 2-mile race last Sunday, another victory.

“When I got to the podium, I realized, look how far you’ve come these last four years,” said Tyler Cardillo, Shelter Island summer resident and All-American runner. “I could remember when I was a sophomore looking at runner’s magazines and reading these kids’ names, and here I am on the podium next to them. It was surreal.”

Charlotte High School senior Cardillo has come a long way since he started running, but standing on podiums and wearing medals must be a familiar experience by now. The Punta Gorda, Florida resident boasts a long list of running accomplishments, but he achieved his greatest on March 13, when he ran a personal best 4:13.48 mile in the New Balance Indoor National Championships at the New York Armory in Manhattan, placing third.