A Penn State student who was seriously injured after he fell from a second-floor balcony early Friday is still in critical condition.

Cory Wincek, 20, was leaning against the railing of an apartment balcony at University Terrace apartments, 924 Bellaire Drive, at about 2:15 a.m. when the railing gave way, and he fell about 15 feet onto the paved parking lot below, the State College Police Department said.

State College police Sgt. Dana Leonard said Wincek was taken to the Mount Nittany Medical Center and then airlifted to the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, where he is listed in critical condition.

"Our investigation is continuing, but this is clearly an accident," Leonard said.

Although Wincek is still listed in critical condition, friends say his health is improving greatly.

"He is doing great, considering his condition," said his friend Kyle Barnoff (junior-petroleum and natural gas engineering). "He is really progressing and getting much better every day."

Barnoff said yesterday that Wincek started breathing without his ventilator.

"He is communicating fairly well, and he has started to recognize people," he said. "They have determined that he has not suffered brain damage."

Wincek's good friend and roommate Garrett Girouard (junior-crime, law and justice) said he was at the apartment the night of the incident.

Girouard said he rode in the ambulance with Wincek to Mount Nittany Medical Center, and then after Wincek was airlifted, Girouard drove to Geisinger Medical Center and spent several hours with him there.

"It's real tough to see him seriously hurt," he said. "He's such an active person; he can't sit still."

Girouard said Wincek spent Thursday mountain biking, which is one of his passions. He said Wincek, a junior majoring in petroleum and natural gas engineering, works at The Bicycle Shop, 441 W. College Ave., and loves to ski and play hockey.

Girouard said Wincek had surgery yesterday, and although he was originally in a medically induced coma, he is now conscious.

"His family is all really optimistic [that] he's going to make it," Girouard said.

Wincek's good friend Adrienne Beck (sophomore-economics) was also at the apartment the night of the incident. She said about 10 people were there when it happened, but only about three were on the balcony.

"A couple of us drove straight to Danville and stayed there seven or eight hours overnight," Beck said. "He's the most physically active person I know; he's just always in a good mood."

Barnoff said he met Wincek in middle school in State College. He said they worked together at the University Creamery and have taken numerous classes at Penn State together.

"In smaller classes, he is the kid who everybody knows for being loud and hilarious," Barnoff said.

Barnoff said he and Wincek have been long-time mountain biking partners and have countless stories about their trips.

"In middle school we would sit in his garage, listen to [WQWK] QWK Rock and tinker with bikes on rainy days," Barnoff said. "I hope soon we can be making memories again."