Coach, brother motivate Montijo

Cheyenne Montijo is driven to success in the pool by her Stevenson water polo coach, Jeff Wimer, and motivated to excel by her younger brother, Kyle.

“Jeff has been coaching for 20-plus years,” Montijo said. “He knows as much about the game as anyone. If I hadn’t listened to him, it would have been a detriment to my playing. I can’t say enough good things about him.

“Particularly the past couple years, he has really been pushing me to do my best, to be a good leader in and out of the pool. If he hadn’t done that for me, I think it would have been a lot harder for me the past four years.”

Montijo, 18, a senior living in Buffalo Grove, is a four-year Patriot polo player and has been named all-conference and all-sectional each of the past two years. She’s been playing for 11 years, first in the Chicago Park District and then, when she moved to the area as a sixth-grader, she joined the Northern Illinois Polo Club.

“Growing up, I had always heard about Jeff and he was a big influence on me, even in age-group (play),” said Montijo, who also praised her NIPC coach, Ivan Munoz. “When I got to Stevenson, I knew he was going to be a great coach. Jeff runs his team like a family. I think that’s been the most important thing over my four years of high school water polo. I knew that I could go to him for anything, not just water polo (matters). And that was really, really important for me.”

Such as the time during her sophomore season when she endured shoulder issues, a common ailment among water polo players. Montijo was in and out of the water for a few weeks, “and he really helped me through that (time) mentally,” she said. “Beside my parents, Jeff definitely helped me the most. I felt like I wasn’t alone (while injured).”

Montijo knows Wimer is always there for the Patriots with a word of encouragement, especially during games. Even when he’s rather vocal.

“You can definitely hear him on the other side of the pool,” Montijo said, laughing. “He definitely helps run our offense and defense. You can always hear him yelling, and that’s not always in a bad way.”

And sometimes Wimer’s words of encouragement can be, ugh, simply funny. Take, for instance, the time last season when he yelled for Montijo to shoot the ball during a game, yet called Montijo by the nickname that she’s called by her teammates: “Sche-nay-nay.”

“Everyone started laughing. I thought it was really funny,” Montijo said.

A utility player, Montijo was a third-team all-state honoree as a junior. And she’s definitely been a more offensive-minded player this year and last as opposed to her approach as a freshman and sophomore, which was primary as a defensive player.

Since the end of last season, Montijo has been working hard to strengthen her upper-body and working on her shot. She went to a water polo camp in California last summer and another in Florida this past December.

“Going to a sunny place when you’re from the Midwest is always a good time,” she said. “When I was in Florida and California, there was tough competition, so that experience was very beneficial.

“I feel I’m stronger and more confident in my shot this season. I used to pass the ball more, but now I feel I’m more confident and know that I can take and make an accurate shot and score goals. I’ve always wanted to be more offensive, but defense definitely was a priority for me. And that’s not to say shooting wasn’t. I feel I now bring more to the table, both offensively and defensively, making me a more complete player.”

And one who has the strength to muscle the ball into the goal, thanks to her nonstop, year-round play.

“Cheyenne brings a lot of experience to the team,” Wimer said. “With her experience brings a very high skill level. Cheyenne’s best attributes are her attitude and leadership abilities. She has really matured since her freshman year. She has put in many hours and has worked very hard to get to where she is today.”

And that’s team captain for the second consecutive season.

“The team, the four different teams that I’ve gotten to play with, the girls who I’ve gotten to know … that’s who and what stands out the most. That’s my biggest memory,” said Montijo, who will retire from the sport after this season and head to Indiana University in the fall to study business or law. She will be one of the first from her family to attend college, she points out with pride.

“I don’t really know how to describe it,” she said. “The team is so important when it comes to water polo, and I’ve realized that more and more over the past four years. One person doesn’t lose a water polo game. It’s the team that loses, and you also win together. I think that’s probably the best memory I have.”

As well as finishing third in the state as a freshman.

“Walking down the side of the pool to get my medal (as a freshman) was a huge, huge thing for me, probably one of my best memories,” said Montijo, who also highlighted the team’s sectional championship during her sophomore season.

Last year, though, the Patriots lost to Mundelein in the sectional championship game.

“I think this year’s team has infinite potential,” Montijo said. “We can do as well as we want to do. I honestly think we can win a state championship, if we work hard and play well together. We have a lot of depth. I just want a state championship so bad.”

To share the honor with her brother, no doubt.

Kyle Montijo, 15, suffers from autism. He attends a special education school in Palatine, is unable to communicate, and battles behavior and communication issues.

“When I was growing up, having a brother who was disabled was definitely a challenge, but he really strengthened me,” she said. “Seeing him grow, and all of the challenges that he’s overcome, has definitely made me look at the challenges that I face and I know that I can get through them, just as he’s gotten through challenges. That’s definitely had a big impact on my life.”

Kyle has attended only a few of his sister’s water polo games, but Cheyenne said, “he’s definitely one of the reasons that I play as hard as I do and that I’ve played for as long as I have — because I know that he wasn’t able to play on a team.

“One thing that’s really important to me, and something that’s really helped me get a lot stronger as a person outside of polo is, my brother.”

Montijo is an honor roll student at Stevenson. She also has been on the Patriots’ swimming team for four years, but her passion lays in water polo.

“I think I’m just a normal teenage away from the pool,” she said. “I like to hang out with friends who aren’t on (the) water polo (team), listen to music, etc.

“For the past 11 years, water polo has been a huge, huge part of my life — and it’s going to be really hard to give it up at the end of the season. But, if the season goes as I hope it will go, I’ll be happy with the way it ends because I am working really, really hard for a state championship.

“It was a hard decision to not play water polo in college, but I’m content, happy with the decision that I made so I can focus on my grades.”