For the past two years, Summit High’s Kathryn Havern has spent countless hours in the pool, competing as the school’s junior varsity water polo goalie.

For the boys team.

Now, as a senior, the Storm goalkeeper is doing her best to persuade other girls at her school to come out for a sport that is still relatively new to Central Oregon.

Despite limited turnout in its first two seasons, water polo numbers are increasing at the three Bend high schools. All of the schools have fielded boys teams, and Mountain View and Bend both have girls rosters slated for competition.

Even though the sport is sparking interest, Bend’s programs are still significantly smaller than the program at Redmond High School, which enters its eighth year of competition in the Salem-based Valley District.

In Bend, water polo teams function as school activities, not sanctioned varsity sports. So local coaches were thrilled last year when two area teams — the Bend High boys and the Mountain View girls — qualified for the state tournament.

“In Bend, water polo is really a new thing,” explains Ray Tuleya, who coached the Bend High squad last year and now coordinates water polo at the three Bend high schools. “So for us to go and compete against these schools’ varsity teams is a big deal.”

Redmond Panthers

Since starting the high school program eight years ago, Redmond coach Bill Pair sees between 30 and 40 students come out for water polo each season.

With varsity and JV teams for both boys and girls, Redmond is an example of what the programs in Bend aspire to build. Last year the Panther boys finished second in league play, with a 10-3 record.

This year, Pair hopes the offensive strengths of his team and senior leadership from Sam Hedeguard, Matt Hauge and Bob Gilbert will get the Panthers to the state tournament.

“We’ve got a lot of weapons this year and can score from everywhere,” says Pair. “We’re just a very strong shooting team.”

The Panther girls squad is coming off a third-place Valley League finish, notching a record of 8-5 in 2006.

Second-year coach Vicky Nill says the team is focusing on defense during preseason practices. Nill is encouraged by the passing and ball handling of a team that she says will be led by seniors Bailey Standerwick and Brittany Parks. Junior Margo Caramello is also expected to contribute.

“We have some girls that really have the drive and are going to push this team,” says Nill. “They want to get to the state tournament.”

Bend Lava Bears

As reigning city champions, the Bend High boys are back this year with a solid roster that includes seven returnees. The Lava Bears finished third in the Intermountain section of the 5A Valley Conference last year, and this year they hope to compete with top schools West Albany and South Albany.

The Bend lineup will likely be bolstered by senior Aaron Byrg, a standout 2 meter (think basketball center) who played for Mountain View last year.

Byrg joins a lineup that assistant coach Chris Smelser says will be led by seniors Will Steinhauf and Dustin Connell.

Smelser says he hopes the experience of key leaders will help the team win the city tournament and advance to the state tournament for a second year in a row.

Jordan Davis, who will serve as team captain, will lead the Bend High girls team, which finished fourth last year.

“She came on right at the end of the season last year,” says Tuleya, who helps coach the Bend programs in the summer. “She’s really looking strong this year.”

Both Bend High teams will join Mountain View at a jamboree in Woodburn this weekend to start preseason play.

Mountain View Cougars

Advancing to the state tournament last year, the Mountain View girls were excited to represent Bend for the first time in state history. The Cougars finished second in league play, finishing with a 6-1 record.

But once they got to the state tournament, taking on seasoned varsity opponents proved too much for the young Cougs. And after Mountain View lost both of its state games, head coach Charise Rosam was worried about how her team would respond.

Rosam says, however, that instead of sulking, the team took the setbacks in stride and focused on looking ahead to the upcoming season.

“It was an incredible opportunity for us,” says Rosam of the state competition. “The goal for us is to get back there (to state) because I feel it’s a great learning experience. This sport is new in Central Oregon. It’s really important just to learn and to grow in this sport.”

The Cougar girls return five players to a team that Rosam says will be led by senior captains Cassandra Lopez and Anna Srovola.

Though the team has some experience, Rosam and assistant coach Chris Duffy are focusing preseason practices on fundamentals and on making sure that everyone — new players and veterans alike — is comfortable in the water.

“This is such a new sport,” says Rosam. “I’m just hoping to teach them a passion and love of the game.”

On the boys side, Mountain View returns five players but is struggling to fill a void left by Byrg, an experienced player who Rosam says was a leader in and out of the water.

“He has so much experience but is really humble,” the Mountain View coach says of Byrg. “He really made a point of trying to help everyone understand the game and enjoy it.”

Senior captains Scott Perkins, a wing, and Ben Myers, a goalie, will lead the Cougars. But Rosam is quick to point out that she will rely on all players to contribute.

“I’m a firm believer that you’re only as strong as your weakest player,” says Rosam. “So everyone is going to be helping everyone get better this year.”

Summit Storm

At Bend’s newest high school, first-year coach Chris Sherry has his hands full with a team that, unlike the other Bend schools, has already started playing — Summit took part in a jamboree at Redmond last weekend.

With a background in water polo as a player at Cal State Fullerton and a high school coach in Southern California, Sherry is excited about his growing Summit program and the combination of experienced players and fresh talent.

Senior Matt Wood will lead the Storm, which will also see contributions from sophomores Carter Pierce, Chris Harper, Conrad Dickenson and Dylan Kretchmer.

Sherry also expects freshmen Lars Golombeck and Anthony Trujillo to be a key part of a Summit team whose roster boasts 24 players.

“We keep having new people coming out,” says Sherry. “That’s exciting, because no one in Central Oregon seems to know what water polo is. Right now I’m just trying to get them working on understanding the whole concept of the game.”

But the strong turnout for the Summit boys team has not been matched by the girls. The Storm hasn’t fielded a complete girls team, although Sherry and Havern hope that more players trickle into practices now that school is back in session.

“Water polo is just so fun,” says Havern, “and to be captain of an all-girls team would be the best thing in the world to me.”