Steven Gomez jr. | reporter

Kelsea Renz | managing editor

A fairly new sport offered in the Intramural Sports League at Pittsburg State, inner-tube water polo, kicked off its second annual tournament on Monday, Nov. 11, in the Weede Athletic Complex.
Three teams competed in this year’s tournament: Sigma Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternities.
Inner-tube water polo is part of the intramural competition, which organizations may compete in for points.
“Our house tries to do as many sports as possible because you get points just for being there,” said William Ibenthal, sophomore in finance and member of Lambda Chi. “That’s how we have won the intramurals the last several years.”
The tournament concluded on Wednesday, Nov. 13, with Lambda Chi prevailing over all.
Spectators weren’t in very high numbers for the tournament.
Jordan Dickey, senior in nursing and intramural supervisor, says that may be due to the lack of attention to the sport of water polo in the United States, much less Pittsburg State.
“There really aren’t too many that come watch being that it is such a new sport,” Dickey said. “Most of the crowd involves members of the fraternities that are playing.”
Ibenthal says Lambda Chi participated in the tournament last year and it was a huge hit at the house.
Although the sport may lack widespread attention, one thing it does not lack is intense competition and a requirement for physical skills.
“One thing that sets water polo apart from other sports is that it is in the water and you not only have an opponent, but you have to evade them against the water as well,” said Matthew Gadberry, sophomore in finance and Sigma Chi captain. “I would describe water polo as a physical game that requires teamwork to defeat the opponent.”
Dickey says water polo at Pitt State has the potential to grow as it is played more often in the intramurals.
“The Intramural Office got the idea for water polo by attending these (NRSA) meetings and hearing how popular it was at other schools,” she said. “Most people haven’t heard of the sport so they are excited to try something they haven’t heard much of.”
Anyone interested in joining the next water polo tournament should contact the Intramural Sports Office at 235-4955.