Best of the West Fest 2026

Jonelle Seeley

Winnipeg, MB — April 24-26, 2026 –

Congratulations to Senior swimmers  Lily, Caen, and Masao who travelled to Winnipeg last weekend to compete against athletes from across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and British Columbia. AMAC’s three days of racing were packed with best times, club records, second swims, and an extremely memorable experience racing the “Best of the West”! 

Swim of the Meet: Masao Mori 
Masao had a fantastic weekend of racing in Winnipeg with numerous stand-out swims. However, his 200m butterfly final on Sunday night was the perfect summary of his hard work and dedication. This swim checked a lot of success boxes as it was a best time by about 8 seconds, a huge club record, a podium finish, and ranks him among the top 5 in his age group in Canada this season. Masao was focussed on setting up good technique and letting himself race the competition in this swim and he rose to the challenge in finals finishing second and sneaking up on the competition from behind with his phenomenal splitting. Very well done, Masao! 
 

Heart and Hustle: Lily McWilliams 
Lily raced with everything she had in Winnipeg. Despite numerous stressful road blocks that were out of her control, popping up over the course of the meet, Lily took each scenario in stride and worked to make sure she set herself up for success each and every time she stepped onto the blocks. Lily’s ability to adapt to new situations, from experiencing a new pool setting after a 10+ hour drive, to being suddenly thrown in (and winning with a PB!) a swim-off, and many other challenges is something we should all aspire to have. Congratulations on an amazing weekend, Lily! 

Results...

Caen McWilliams (16)
11 – 200 Back Prelim
23 – 50 Back Prelim
21 – 50 Fly Prelim
19 – 100 Back Prelim

Lily McWilliams (14)
11 - 50m free Prelim
1 – 50m Free Swim off (New 15y/o Provincial Champ & Western Time)
15 – 200 Free Prelim
9 – 100 Free Prelim

Masao Mori (14)
4 – 100 Fly Prelim
4 – 100 Fly Final (New 16y/o Western Time)
2 – 400m Free Prelim
2 – 400m Free Final (New Club Record, Provincial Champ Open Time & 16y/o Western Time)
4 - 50m Fly Prelim
6 – 50 Fly  Final (New 14y/o Western Time)
6 - 400 IM Prelim
7 – 400 IM Final
2 – 200 Fly Prelim
2 - 200 Fly Final (New Club Record, Provincial Champ Open Time & 16y/o Western Time)
8 – 100 Free Prelim
6 - 100 Free Final (New Club Record, New 14y/o Western Time)

Next up for AMAC swim club is the LASC Spring classic in Lethbridge.