Mustapha Salau earned three gold medals at last week’s Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Track and Field Championships. But one of them was a bit more special than the others.

Salau won two individual events last Monday at East Stroudsburg South High School. His victory with the 400-meter boys relay team put the biggest smile on his face.

“It’s different for a relay,” said Salau. “When you’re able to come out in a relay and depend on other guys and have other guys depend on you, and really put something together it’s a great feeling. It’s just been great overall, the whole senior season.”

Salau had a hand in three of Parkland’s five gold medals last week, while junior Grace Nation hauled in two more with wins in long jump and triple jump.

The 400-meter relay team started with senior Tyler Vicari, who handed off to senior Rhian Romain, with sophomore Dylan Simon running the third leg and Salau bringing it home 43.31 seconds, a full second better than second-place Nazareth (44.32).

“Our key to success was the practice we had all week, constant handoff practice, stick drills,” said Vicari, one of many seniors who missed their senior track season because of the pandemic. “It’s amazing, finally getting out here and getting to compete. Finally getting that gold chip.”

Simon, a newcomer to the team in his first season of varsity track, felt some pressure to come through for his senior teammates, and he did just that.

“This was amazing,” said Simon. “I always dreamed about getting a gold, or just placing. I’m just ecstatic right now.”

The Trojans went into this week’s District 11 Class 3A Championships as the No. 2 seed behind Colonial League champ Wilson (42.58). And the Parkland foursome had plans to run even faster this week.

Parkland had just four meets this season and the league championship quartet ran together in just one of those meets.

“One time at the beginning of the season and that was it,” said Romain. “We can definitely do better. We’re just trying to break 43 at this point.”

Salau won the 400-meter dash in 49.39 over Northampton’s Benjamin Henry (50.44).

While the long lap around the track isn’t his favorite event, its hard to tell that by the results.

“I think track overall is like a love and hate relationship,” he said. “Any 400 runner will tell you that. The 400 isn’t particularly my favorite event, but at the same time it seems to be the one I’m best at.”

Salau won the 200-meter dash in 22.22 seconds, edging Henry (22.34) at the finish line to finish a long day.

“Physically I’m in pain,” he said. “Mentally I’m glad to see we’re out here as a team doing well.”

Salau competed at the meet while fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, which ended last Wednesday.

“Not being able to drink water or eat bananas, stuff you should be doing, is tough,” he said.

Next week he’ll be fueled up and ready to race again in the district championships. He said he will consult with coaches and follow their guidelines to decide which events he will run next at districts as he is also capable of competing for a 100-meter dash title.

Nation enters districts knowing she can win on days when she might not be jumping her farthest.

She won the triple jump at 35 feet, 10 inches over Bethlehem Catholic’s Cailey Spanitz (35-0).

“Definitely not my best jumps,” Nation said. “I’ve been working toward 38 feet, just breaking that. I think I did my, best but definitely looking forward to districts and improving more. I know I’m capable of doing more, so not doing my best and still winning is encouraging.”

Nation’s long jump of 16-5 was just an inch better than second-place finisher Makenna Fortner of Nazareth (16-4).

Nation, a junior in her second full season, competed in just three of Parkland’s four meets this season before entering districts.

“Definitely a shift from my freshman year where I had a bunch of meets,” she said. “Competing in three meets and then coming into EPCs and districts is a lot.”

Parkland’s girls team won the team title at last week’s meet, capping a 4-0 season in which the Trojans also earned the EPC Lehigh Division Championship.

In addition to the gold medalists, Parkland individuals and relay teams earned 15 more medals at the EPC Championships.

Silver medalists were Justin Trexler (110 hurdles), Ava Bendetti (800), Brooke Labenberg (3200), Maddy Battista (high jump), Coral Shivok (pole vault), Brian Warren (pole vault) and the girls 4x800 relay team of Emily Beers, Madi Seed, Lauren Williams and Bendetti.

Taking third place at leagues were Naeema Salau (100), Romain (110 hurdles), Lana Hurwitz (1600), Mikayla Woodring (shot put) and the girls 4x400 relay team of Aubrey Semler, Madi Seed, Gracie Trexler and Bendetti.

Parkland athletes who earned fourth-place medals were Brady Hoffman (800), Sonya Shivok (shot put) and the boys 4x400 relay team of Romain, Vicari, Hoffman and Humza Imam.