![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Their legs burning in the 84-degree weather, the lacrosse team was on fire during its non-league game with Santa Catalina, blazing its way to an 18-7 victory.
Though the teams seemed evenly matched at the beginning of the game, scoring a flurry of back-and-forth goals, the cooperation and skill of the Lady Eagles gave them a decided advantage over the opposing team.
Contributing to the impressive 11-point lead were sophomore Hannah Bollar and seniors Wendy Shwe, Tiphaine Delepine, and Michelle Douglas.
“When I first started coaching in 2008, Santa Catalina creamed us,” coach Andrew Irvine said, reflecting on the team’s improvement. “It was an awfully long drive just to get our butts kicked.”
In contrast, the team had a strong enough lead this year that many new players were given playing time during the second half of the game. Senior and first-time lacrosse player Tara Rezvani agreed that the team has come a long way.
“This is honestly the strongest we’ve ever been,” she said. “I have absolutely no regrets about joining!”
The Eagles defeated the Santa Catalina team last week with a score of 16-9.
“This was a good chance for us to run plays and get more comfortable playing,” Tara added.
Upper School lacrosse alumnus Sanjana Baldwa (’12) stopped by Davis Field to cheer on her former team and reminisce on her time here.
“It’s my first time watching them play since I went to college,” she said. “I definitely miss it, and that’s saying a lot, considering that I only played for a year. You get really close.”
The team will continue its season at Stevenson next week, in preparation for its first league match against Woodside just before spring break.
