Marcelo Castilla had just one concern for last week’s 800-meter run at the District 11 Championships.

He didn’t care what kind of time he ran. All he wanted to do was cross the finish line first, which he did in 1:58.01 to earn his first individual district medal.

“I went for a more strategic route, not going really fast on the first lap and just pacing off them and outkicking them on the backstretch,” said the Trojan senior. “Just like a sit and kick. I wasn’t going for a time. I was just going for the win.”

Castillo and his opponents in the lead pack changed position throughout the first lap, but he took the lead about halfway through the second lap finished over a second ahead of teammate Brendan Frank (1:59.23) in second place.

He came into the meet as a two-time league champ in the 800-meter run and the top returning runner from last year’s Class 3A district race. He was also the top seed this year.

He knew the rest of the field might be pacing off him and was up for the challenge, earning a trip to the state championships with his win.

“I kind of had the target,” said Castillo. “A lot of people were probably pacing off what I did.

“All the hours of training and working just to make it to states, so I’m excited. I was able to win EPCs last week, but I knew I had to push myself with everything I got to get that state spot. It felt really good.”

Castilla and Frank were part of the Trojans’ only other gold-medal performance at districts as they were on a first-place 4x800 relay team, along with teammates Angel Chamorro-Melendez and Luke McEvoy.

The foursome ran the event in 8:01.76 with Emmaus taking second place at 8:08.02

While those were Parkland’s only two first-place finishers at districts, several Trojans earned medals, which went to the top four finishers in each event at the meet. Many Parkland athletes also qualified for states with their performance last week.

Kaley Seide took second place in long jump at districts with a leap of 18 feet, 6 1/4 inches. Samantha Schultz finished second in pole vault at district, clearing 11-0 feet.

In boys events, Radnor Rowlands earned a silver medal with a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash after running a time of 21.43 in finals. Colin McGuigan was a second-place finisher in the 3200-meter run with a time of 9:28.42. Exzavier Seide finished second in the triple jump at 45-3.

Parkland’s third-place finishers at district were Ana Gbur (300 hurdles, 44.97), Aubrey Delong (shot put, 36-2.25), Rowlands (100, 10.66), David Scherb (110 hurdles, 15.11), the girls 4x400 relay team of Dhaniya Miner, Marley Boyle, Shri Desai and Gbur and the boys 4x400 relay team of Lincoln Clark, Wesley West, Scherb and Rowlands.

Fourth-place finishers at districts from Parkland included Miner (200, 25.61), Genevieve Inserra (pole vault, 9-0), West (200, 21.99), McGuigan (1600, 4:22.78), Scherb (300 hurdles, 39.41) and Dallas Reyes (long jump, 21-9 1/2).

Several Trojans earned places at this weekend’s PIAA Championships, held annually at Shippensburg University’s Seth Grove Stadium.

Rowlands is seeded fifth in the 100, where three of the top five state seeds are from District 11. He is also the seventh seed for the 200-meter dash.

Kaley Seide is seeded seventh in long jump at states, where the top eight finishers in each event earn medals. Other Trojans who qualified for states are Scherb (16th in 300 hurdles), Nmelichukwu (22nd in 300 hurdles), Gbur 16th in 300 hurdles), Boys 4x800 (18th), West (18th in 200), Schultz (18th in pole vault), Girls 4x400 19th), McGuigan (21st in 3200), Exavier Seide 23rd in triple jump) an Frank (26th in 800).