A water polo tournament was held in Oswego Lake last weekend. (Courtesy photo: John Medak)

Twelve teams from across the Portland metro area waded, swam and hurled balls into nets within the waters of Oswego Lake with the goal of earning first place in the second annual Lake Oswego Open Water Polo Invitational from Friday, June 27 to Sunday, June 29.

Following three days of competition, the Lake Oswego Water Polo Organization women’s team earned first place with a 13-8 victory over a team from Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center in Beaverton in the finals, while one San Diego team beat another 13-12 on a last second shot in the men’s division championship.

“They demonstrated that being in shape and consistently training has benefits,” Lake Oswego Water Polo Organization Director Daniel Ramirez said of the women’s team. “All the girls contributed in some way. They were consistent throughout and didn’t lose a single game.”

The goal of the event, which was organized by the Lake Corporation and the Lake Oswego Water Polo Organization, was to raise awareness and place a spotlight on water polo athletes. In that regard, it was a success. Ramirez said the event had higher attendance, more teams and better organization than the inaugural affair.

“The overall goal was to bring visibility to the sport of water polo and all the kids choosing it as their passion. Their ability to play and showcase what they are doing and commit so much time to, I think we were pretty successful in that,” he said.