Freedom senior Alex Heidemann captured three gold medals, Liberty senior Josh Farrell earned one gold, and six more Bethlehem competitors were medal winners at the East Penn Conference Track and Field Championships last Tuesday and Wednesday at Whitehall High School.

Heidemann’s first gold medal came on Tuesday in the 3200 meter run.

“This was a nice cherry-on-top to win this. I wanted to win with the least amount of energy expended, and for me, that strategy would be to sit and kick, which is what I did. I tucked in between the two Parkland kids. I’m feeling good. I’m excited for tomorrow. I’m really focused on the 800 because I think there’s gonna be some good competition there,” said Heidemann, who pulled away from the pack on the second-to-last lap. “It feels good. Definitely got some momentum for tomorrow.”

Heidemann won the 1600 meter run in 4:23.90 on Wednesday, three hours prior to winning the 800 meter run in 1:54.77.

“This 800 means a lot. I usually value it as the level of competition and the effort I had to put in to earn it, and the general race overall, and my time. I kind of blew my expectation away with my time today,” he said.

Heidemann had a plan for the 800, and that was to go out with Nazareth’s Jordan Gagner, but a plan doesn’t necessarily eliminate the nerves that accompany competitors in big meets.

“I knew I had to stick with the plan, but 30 minutes before the race, I was psyching myself out, my stomach was bothering me, but I focused up and got to the line, and the gun went off and I just forgot everything and ran. The extra rest is a lifesaver, but it only goes so far,” Heidemann explained. “I knew everyone was around two minutes, and no one had broken two, so I was like, if I’m fresh, I think I can win this race pretty comfortably, but with races prior to this, I knew it would be more of a battle. I got out good, opened my stride in the first 200. Nazareth shot out like a gun and I crept up on him, and I was right with him. I got to the 400, and I was like, I’m feeling good, I’m gonna go and see what I can do.”

Liberty’s Farrell and Bethlehem Catholic’s Kensley Jossil provided stiff competition for each other in the 400 meter run, won by Farrell in 49.46.

“On the backstretch, Jossil pushed me a little bit. It was just him and me on the turn. I didn’t really feel anybody else. Once I decided to kick, he didn’t have the kick back on that last 100,” said an obviously thrilled Farrell. “Finally. I waited so long. My own gold medal is definitely special. I like to go out slow in the 400 and save it for the end, but as you saw today, I went harder.”

Farrell also won the silver medal in the 100 meter dash with a sprint of 11.29, and Jossil’s time in the 400 was 50.27, garnering him silver.

“For the first 100 meters, I felt perfectly fine, and I knew I had it in me. Then on the straightaway, I had good strides and mental toughness and had to tell my body to keep going. Then, it was a battle between Josh Farrell and me. He had an amazing race and helped me P.R., which I’m extremely grateful for, and at the end, it was a dogfight,” Jossil said. “I was bummed-out I didn’t get first place, but I have to be grateful as well because I know I came with the ability to do my best, which I did.”

Silver medals were also awarded to Raymon Deschamps for finishing the 110 hurdles in 16.07 and Damaurian Jones-Golson for reaching 5-11.00 in high jump, both from Liberty.

Hurricane teammate Joseph Barnes placed fourth in high jump with 5-11.00.

Bethlehem Catholic’s Kevin Soto captured the fourth-place medal in long jump with a leap of 21-02.25, and teammate Steve Recchio won the fourth-place medal in discus with a throw of 129-06.