NORTHWEST NOTES: Friday, December 4, 2015

Coeur d’Alene set to defend

state water polo championship

The Coeur d’Alene High School water polo club is in Boise this weekend to defend their state championship.

The Vikings have won the state water polo championship the last two years. However, a majority of last year’s team graduated and so this year’s team is composed from a much younger group, including nine freshman, five sophomores, three juniors and four seniors.

The Coeur d’Alene team, coached by Mark Collingham, has been practicing at the Kroc Center since early November, though many of its members also play on the Kroc water polo club year round. The team also includes a few players from other local schools, including Lake City and Lakeland. Collingham is also working with players Lake City, Lakeland and other schools to help develop their own water polo teams. Water polo has been steadily growing in Idaho over the last several years, with eight teams entering this year’s tournament. This year’s tournament is also the first in which it is separate from the state swimming championships.