Trey Shackleton swims in meets all over the country. The club season is year-round for the Northwestern High School swimmer who doesn't have a high school team.

He often swims against some of the best competition in the country.

But one of the highlights of his year is always the District 11 Championship Meet.

It might not be the fastest meet or the most prestigious he swims in. Maybe not even in the top five. But it's by far the most fun for the four-time district champion and four-time state medalist.

"It's a huge deal," he said of districts, which were held Friday and Saturday at Parkland High School. "It's not as competitive as some of the meets like Junior Nationals, and grand prix and sectional meets through USA Swimming. The atmosphere here [at districts], nothing beats it. People are so loud here and they're so excited for swimming."

Shackleton, a senior, came away with one gold and one silver medal last weekend. He won his third straight gold in the 500-yard freestyle, posting a time of 4:41.25, just over two seconds off his district-record setting time from last year (4:39.04).

He didn't have anyone pushing him and won this year's 500 freestyle title by an 18.58-second margin.

"I'm happy with the result as far as place goes," he said. "I think I could have gone faster. I'm not really concerned right now. I'm more concerned about going faster at the state meet."

He's finished third in the 500 in the last two state meets and wants to cap his high school career with a trip to the top of the podium. But his first priority is hitting his goal time.

"I'd definitely love a gold medal," he said. "It's my senior year. It would be great. It's not entirely under my control. If I go 4:29 and someone else goes faster, I'd be fine with that."

His career best time in that event is a 4:32 he swam at a sectional meet last spring in Virginia.

Shackleton earned his silver medal in the 200 freestyle at districts. Salisbury sophomore Mahlon Reihman edged him, finishing in 1:43.46 while Shackleton came in at 1:43.75.

"I wasn't really happy with my time," said Shackleton. "I think I could have won the event if I could have pushed the race a little more through the second and third 50s. I think that Mahlon had a great race and I didn't have as good of a race."

The two are teammates on their Parkland Aquatic Club team and were excited to face off at districts.

"We've been talking to each other for a little while getting ready for the race," said Shackleton. "That's really the first time we've had a head to head race. Everyone on the team was kind of taking sides as to who would win."

While only district champions earn automatic qualification to the state meet, the rest of the field for each state meet comes from the top times from nonwinners at district meets all over the commonwealth.

Shackleton was at the top of that list in the 200 freestyle and has a great chance to earn another state medal in the event.

His goal for states is to improve on his best time of 1:42, which he did at junior nationals last year in Seattle.

In two trips to states, Shackleton had finished seventh and sixth, respectively, the past two seasons in the 200, giving him four career state medals in four career swims at the meet, held each year at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium in Lewisburg.

This year's Class AA meet will be held Wednesday, March 11-Thursday, March 12.

Shackleton will swim the 200 on the first day and he competes in the the 500 freestyle on second day.