If anyone can kick it in the end, Freedom distance runner Alex Heidemann can. The Patriot junior did it this past fall to steal a bronze medal in cross country, and he did it last week to steal a gold in track.

“My strategy was to sit in second or third, stay within striking distance of number one, and out kick him at the end,” said Heidemann after winning the gold medal in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:59.08 last Monday at the East Penn Conference Track and Fiomeeld Championships at East Stroudsburg South High School.

But it wasn’t as simple as it sounded.

“The lead alternated,” Heidemann said. “First it was Graham (Phillips from Liberty), then Easton (Tarif Muhammad), then the kid from Pleasant Valley (Tyler Akob) took over, and then me. Graham took the lead with 200 meters to go, and I gave it everything I had left to get him. It was rough. I was so relieved. I knew it would be close. I could hear my mom and dad cheering. After I collected myself, I went over to Coach Bob (Thear) and he gave me a hug.”

Phillips won the silver and would return to anchor the 4x4 relay won by the Hurricanes including Emrick Leshko, Matt Johnston, and Josh Farrell in 3:30.20.

Phillips described how it felt to wait for the handoff.

“It’s kind of nerve wracking. You want to cheer him on, but you don’t want to expend any energy, so you’re kind of urging him on with your hands,” Phillips said.

Northampton’s anchor Benjamin Henry finished exactly one second behind Phillips, but not as close as one might think because Phillips could see that fans weren’t looking right behind him as he was going around the corner.

Phillips also anchored Liberty’s 4x8 gold-medal relay, also run by Leshko, Cole Frank, and Jacob Orrico in 8:14.89.

“We were already 70 to 75 meters ahead of everyone else, so I was just trying to finish up at that point, but it still seems like you’re trying as hard as anyone else,” said Phillips. “Two golds is nice. It’s a little bit of redemption from years past. It’ll be nice if we make states, especially the 4x8 because Cole and I didn’t make it sophomore year. There’s just something about it.”

Frank was the EPC gold medalist in the 3200 meter run in 9:52.77 and won the bronze in the 1600 meter run.

Heidemann clinched gold in the 1600 (4:23.27), 4.5 seconds ahead of Easton’s Trey Rhinehart who came in second.

“He was in front of me for a portion of that, and in the third lap I pulled ahead,” Heidemann said. “My strategy was to get rid of as many people as I could pretty quick.”

Now Heidemann and other qualifiers will get to do it all over again at districts this Wednesday at Blue Mountain High School.

“That is the goal,” Heidemann said.

Liberty’s Elijah Rogers was the high jump gold medalist (6-03.00), and teammate Joseph Barnes won the bronze.

Also winning bronze medals from Liberty were Sander Sahaydak in the triple jump, Jack Donchez in javelin, and Messiah Johnson in discus.

Bethlehem Catholic’s Nicholas Roof took third place in the long jump.