![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[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)
Fierce and forceful: Girls lacrosse triumphs on the field
Sweat running down their faces as they ran across the field in 70-degree weather, the girls lacrosse team gained a victory against Christian Brothers High School-Sacramento, ending the game 19-14.
Though the Eagles’ early lead was stolen in the first half with the score tied 7-7, they came back strong with renewed energy, earning a streak of goals leading to a five point lead. Goals were scored by Michelle Douglas (12), Wendy Shwe (12), Hannah Bollar (10), and Tiphaine Delepine (12).
“Today was a fantastic win against a very competitive team,” head coach Andrew Irvine said. “Going into the game, we were uncertain about their skill level, so we essentially just went in thinking, ‘You know what, this team is something we need to beat,’ and they did. And they beat them good.”
With the addition of many new players this year, the team has grown to 29 members. While returning players act as starters, the coaches look for opportunities to give new players time to play and grow the future team as well.
“I think this game really helped us gel together as a team. We have a lot of seniors as well as new players, and it’s really great seeing us growing into a team,” Allison Kiang (10) said.
The bleachers on the field were filled with a large number of fans, as a lot of students attended the game on Friday afternoon.
“I love the fan support that we have. We love the spirit that they bring to us and I hope that in the future we can get out and have some more crowd support for the Eagles,” assistant coach Jason Berry said.
The girls saw this game as preparation for the start of league games in two weeks. According to Irvine, the team enters every game with a plan which they execute to the best of their ability and walk away with the best result possible.
“We would like to win the world championship of lacrosse,” Irvine said with a laugh.
Team members look forward to a successful season and hope that today’s game signaled good results in the future.
“The goal we have set is to win league. We came dangerously close last year and would like to not even leave it in question heading into the end of season,“ Berry said.
The girls’ next home game will be held on March 28 against Stevenson High School.
Roshni Pankhaniya is the Sports Editor of the Winged Post. She is a senior and has been previously been a reporter and the Sports Editor for Harker Aquila....