Times News area athletes had plenty to brag about in 2013.

Here are just a few of the highlights:Feb. 23 - Tamaqua's Colin Mashack, Northwestern's Mike Ortiz and Northern Lehigh's Ty Herzog win gold medals in District 11 AA Wrestling Tournament.March 1 - Northwestern's Trey Shackleton and Palmerton's Katie Pielmeier grab gold medals during the District 11 Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships. Shackleton's was in the 200 freestyle and Pielmeier's was in the 200 individual medley.March 2- Northern Lehigh's Ty Herzog captured the 152-pound Class AA title in the Southeast Regional Wrestling Tournament with a convincing 7-2 decision over Halifax's Robbie Moretz and also qualified for the PIAA Championships for the second year in a row.March 2 - Northwestern's Trey Shackleton set a new record in the Class 2A 500 freestyle at the District 11 Swimming and Diving Championships. Shacketon earned a gold medal in the event and Palmerton's Sawyer Allen also won gold in the 100 breaststroke.March 3 - Northern Lehigh standout Caleb Johnson was named Lehigh Valley Football Scholar Athlete. Johnson continued his education and football career at Princeton University.March 9 - Northern Lehigh's Ty Herzog brings home the lone local medal from the PIAA Wrestling Championships, finishing fifth in the Class 2A 152-pound weight class.March 20 - Invitations were sent out to Lehighton and Jim Thorpe to join the Colonial League in all sports, as well as Mountain Valley Conference member Pleasant Valley. The league wanted to add two new members and when Lehighton and Pleasant Valley declined the talk of expansion ceased.April 29 - Northwestern Lehigh's Henry Paiste rallied for his third straight District 11 2A singles tennis title. Paiste defeated Moravian Academy's Zach Shaff 2-6,, 6-3, 6-4 for another gold medal.May 2 - Jim Thorpe's softball team ended a 62-game losing streak by defeating Panther Valley 18-17 in a Schuylkill League Division I contest.May 15 - Palmerton's Austin Shupp (AA 300-meter hurdles), Tamaqua's Tyler Hope (AAA javelin), Maria Streisel (AA long jump), Christine Streisel (AA Shot Put), Lehighton's Sarah Keer (AAA javelin) and the Northwestern Lehigh 3200 AAA relay team all won gold medals in the first day of the District 11 Track and Field Championships.May 16 - Palmerton's Jessica Pereira wins the 3A 400-meter dash, while the Northwestern boys 400-meter relay team also captured gold in the second day of the District 11 Track and Field Championships. Northern Lehigh's Caleb Johnson finished first in the 200 and 400 meter runs, Palmerton's John Snyder won the AA shot put, Palmerton's Austin Shupp won the 2A 110 hurdles, Marian's 2A boys 1600-meter relay team was first and Tamaqua's Christine Streisel won the 2A girls javelin.May 25 - Tamaqua's Christine Streisel and Palmerton's Austin Shupp won silver medals at the PIAA Track and Field Championships in the 2A girls javelin and 2A boys 300-meter hurdles respectively.May 29 - Tamaqua pulls out a 4-3 win over Southern Lehigh in the District 11 3A Baseball Championship at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown for its first district crown in 10 years.Aug. 14 - The Lehigh Valley Conference extends an invitation to the Mountain Valley Conference to join forces for the 2014-15 scholastic sports season.Oct. 2 - The MVC-LVC merger was made official as presidents of both leagues held a conference call to announce the news.Oct. 8 - Cole Miller of Northwestern Lehigh and Mike Weinert of Tamaqua took the District 11 2A golf championship to playoff holes as both finished tied with a 73 at Blue Ridge Country Club. Miller sank a birdie putt to edge the Blue Raider and win the gold medal.Oct.15 - Northwestern's Cole Miller takes medalist honors at the PIAA Golf Eastern Regional with a round of 68 at Golden Oaks Golf Course in Fleetwood to earn his trip to states.Oct. 22 - Cole Miller of Northwestern Lehigh won the 2A silver medal at the PIAA Golf Championships for the second year in a row,finising at one-under par.Oct. 23 - The Northwestern Lehigh girls finished first in the 2A team standings for the second year in a row at the District 11 Cross Country Championships. Northwestern Lehigh and Jim Thorpe finished 1-2 on theboys side of the ledger.Oct. 25 - Jim Thorpe clinched the Anthracite Football League title with a 14-7 win over archrival Marian.Oct. 31 - Marian repeated as District 11 Class A Girls Volleyball champions with a 25-23, 25-14, 19-25, 25-12 victory over Nativity. Northwestern Lehigh also won the District 11 2A Girls Soccer crown with a 4-1 triumph over Blue Mountain.Nov. 2 - Northwestern's Haley Yost and Carly Pierce medaled at the PIAA Cross Country Championships in Hershey. Yost finished fourth and Pierce 20th.Nov. 16 - The Marian Fillies swept Cochranton in the PIAA Class A Girls Volleyball Championship by scores of 25-16, 25-23 and 25-17 to win the crown for the second time in school history.