The Cowichan Valley Breakers made waves at the Vancouver Island Regional Championships over the August long weekend, powering to multiple gold-medal finishes, relay victories, and even a full podium sweep in one of the Island’s most competitive divisions.
Rising star Parker Dube capped her rookie season with a statement performance, winning gold in the Girls Division 1 100-metre individual medley and 100-metre freestyle, along with silver in the 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre butterfly. Her speed also helped anchor the Division 1 medley relay team to a first-place finish.
Dube’s journey to the Breakers was almost as fast as her times in the pool — she first caught the club’s attention while taking lessons during a Breakers’ Sunday practice.
“She expressed interest in joining the club, and the following week she was in the pool,” recalled Ryan Smith, president of the Cowichan Valley Breakers. “After dominating her first meet at the Cowichan Ice Breaker, her home meet, we knew she was going to have a stand-out performance this season.”
On the boys’ side, Jaxton Heugh once again proved why he’s among Vancouver Island’s most dominant swimmers. The multi-season standout earned four gold medals — in the 100m IM, 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle — and led a historic 1-2-3 sweep in the Boys Division 3 50m freestyle.
Earlier in the season, a faulty start nearly cost him two seconds in one race, but Heugh recovered to set a new meet record and take the win. It was a defining moment that set the tone for his year.
“His season was so dominant that even that setback couldn’t stop him," Smith said.
Teammates Kingston Bates and Sebastian Smith took silver and bronze respectively in that event, solidifying the Breakers’ dominance. The same group, with Lincon Bates, also claimed gold in the relay, highlighting the team’s depth and chemistry.
Several other Breakers stepped up with strong performances. Ruby Heugh earned silver in the Girls Division 2 50m backstroke and bronze in the 50m freestyle, while qualifying for multiple “A Finals.” Darla VandenDungen captured gold in the Girls Division 3 50m butterfly and reached finals in both the 100m IM and 100m freestyle.
Across Divisions 1 through 6, swimmers set personal bests and contributed to a strong overall medal haul.
The Breakers’ strength wasn’t limited to individual races. The team’s relay squads performed consistently throughout the weekend, capturing multiple gold and silver medals while showcasing talent, teamwork and strategic execution.
The Girls Division 2 medley relay team of Ruby Heugh, London Bates, Ngapera Smith and Parker Dube combined precision and power to win gold. The same quartet went on to dominate the freestyle relay as well.
In Boys Division 3, the 200m medley relay team of Jaxton Heugh, Sebastian Smith, Kingston Bates and Lincoln Bates also captured gold, further cementing their status as one of the region’s top relay units.
The Girls Division 4 medley relay team included Abi Butlin, Aurora Gugin, Poppy Storie and Darla VandenDungen and they battled through a competitive field to take silver, showing grit and determination.
Even the younger and less experienced swimmers made their mark. The Girls Division 6 200m freestyle relay squad, composed mostly of lower-division swimmers including VandenDungen, Gugin, Storie and Sarah Hagen, swam to a well-earned silver medal, underscoring the club’s growing depth of talent.
Reflecting on the team’s performance, Smith credited long-term planning and athlete development.
“Over the past few seasons, we’ve placed a strong focus on bringing in new young Division 1–3 swimmers, especially boys,” said Smith. “This weekend was a clear sign that the work is paying off. Our Div 1, 2, and 3 athletes didn’t just show up, they delivered, with podium sweeps, relay dominance, and breakthrough performances that set the tone for the future of the club.”
“Of course, success was not just a result of our athletes,” Smith added. “This year we had a fantastic coaching team led by head coach Lily Heugh, assistant coach Lucy Heugh, and assistant coach Hannah Doman — all former Cowichan Valley Breakers who have had so much success in the pool themselves.”
Fourteen of the 24 swimmers who competed at regionals qualified to represent the club at the provincials in Prince George Aug. 16 to 18 where they gained valuable experience both in and out of the water.
