St. Thomas More Freshman Won State Swim Title
A Lafayette swimmer shares how she balances high-level club training with her freshman high school academic load.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Swimming
St. Thomas More freshman Addison Dugas, who began swimming at age 4, recently secured a victory in the 500 freestyle event at the short course state meet. She continues to compete for both her high school team and the Lafayette-based Crawfish Aquatics.
Why it matters
Dugas demonstrates how youth athletes manage the physical and mental demands of high-level competition while navigating the transition to high school. Her performance highlights the importance of consistent conditioning and lifestyle discipline for young endurance swimmers.
Addison Dugas won the 500 freestyle for the 13-14 age group at the February 2026 short course state meet. This result follows over a decade of training in freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly.
The players
Addison Dugas
A freshman swimmer at St. Thomas More who competes in backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly.
Crawfish Aquatics
A Lafayette-based club team that provides advanced training for competitive youth swimmers.
The details
Dugas manages the physiological demands of endurance swimming through extensive long-term training background and conditioning. She integrates these athletic commitments with academic requirements by maintaining daily discipline in nutrition, sleep, and study habits.
Timeline
Dugas began swimming at age 4.
She won the 500 freestyle state title in February 2026.
She prepares for upcoming district swim meets in the fall of 2026.
Health Landscape
The athletic development of youth swimmers like Dugas follows the established trajectory patterns set by USA Swimming's athlete development model. This approach emphasizes long-term consistency in training and recovery over early specialization.
Young athletes can sustain performance by prioritizing consistent sleep, structured nutrition, and academic scheduling. If your child is interested in high-intensity training, discussing injury prevention and training load with a sports medicine physician is recommended.
The takeaway
Maintaining competitive success requires balancing intense physical training with fundamental habits like rest and nutrition. Athletes and their families should keep track of seasonal competition calendars to ensure balanced training loads.
What happens next
Dugas is scheduled to compete in district swim meets later this semester and aims to qualify for the state championship meets.
Further reading
Learn more about local youth athletics at the Swimming section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KLFY 10 Lafayette.
