Best of the West

Best of the West Fest 2026 Recap

Island Swimming sent a small but competitive group of eight athletes to the inaugural Best of the West Fest, held April 23–26 at the Pan Am Pool in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The team raced against top age group swimmers from across Western Canada over 3.5 days of long course competition.

In a strong field, our swimmers recorded 14 personal best times, along with three podium finishes and one new club record.

Zoe Paterson earned two bronze medals in the 14-year-old girls 50m and 100m butterfly events. Mason D’Entremont added a bronze medal in the 14-year-old boys 100m backstroke and set a new club record in the 13–14 boys 50m backstroke with a time of 29.52, finishing 4th—just 0.08 seconds off another podium.

This meet marked the first national-level competition for many of our athletes. Exposure to this level of racing is an important step in long-term development, helping swimmers gain experience in more competitive and high-pressure environments as they continue progressing in the sport.