Stevenson's Montijo, Lowry find polo's a perfect fit

Stevenson junior Cheyenne Montijo is the first to admit she is not a star in every sport.

"I tried softball for a little while," she said. "I was a fish out of water."

Ditto for junior teammate Karen Lowry.

Looking back, it's clear Montijo and Lowry made the right choice by focusing on water sports, water polo in particular. They lead a Stevenson team that has an excellent chance to successfully defend its conference championship and make another trip to the IHSA state tournament.

Lowry has a vivid memory of attending Stevenson games to watch her older sisters play.

"I remember sitting in the stands and wondering what it would be like when I was in their position," she said.

The play of this talented duo is a big reason why the Patriots were off to a 3-1 start through Thursday.

Montijo relies mostly on her strength and power to score goals, while Lowry is a faster player.

Coach Jeff Wimer emphasized that Montijo is quicker in the water than you would think. In an early-season victory over Vernon Hills, Montijo led the way with 7 goals.

"She can motor when she needs to," Wimer said. "She has great anticipation and her experience gives her an edge."

From the time she moved to Buffalo Grove in middle school, Montijo looked forward to high school water polo.

"I love water polo because it's a team sport," she said. "It's a great feeling when you put a lot of effort into it and the team does well."

Montijo said it was invaluable to get varsity experience as a freshman.

"It was pretty awesome being on a team that went to state," she said.

As a sophomore, she emerged as one of the Patriots' top scoring threats. This season, she should be even tougher to stop.

"She's a powerhouse in the water," Lowry said.

The same could be said for Lowry.

"Karen is strong and she has a lot of raw speed," Wimer said.

Lowry said Wimer has shaped her game over the years.

"He's been a great coach for so long," she said. "He's been teaching me ever since I began playing water polo."

Lowry said the Patriots are on track for another big season.

"We're very excited," she said. "I like the positive energy and optimism we have."