![“[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)
The wrestling team has been competing in variety of tournaments, all leading up to the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships taking place at the end of February at Independence High School.
On December 17 and 18, the team competed in the Scotts Valley Coast Classic Tournament in Scotts Valley, where Santosh Swaminathan (12) and Chris McCallaCreary (12) both placed second, with Chris wrestling two weight classes higher. In addition, Jason Mendel (12) placed sixth.
On January 7 and 8, the team participated in the Cupertino Wrestling Tournament at Cupertino High School. Santosh placed first in the 103-pound category, and Chris went on to defeat a ranked wrestler from St. Francis High School, a win which Coach Karriem Stinson called the greatest victory in the program’s history. Having participated in different tournaments, the wrestlers feel ready for the upcoming CCS Championships.
“The season has been great so far. We have been going to harder tournaments and everyone has been doing well,” Jason said.
On January 13, the wrestling team competed against but lost to Los Altos High School. The wrestlers also participated in the 22nd Annual Jim Root Classic at Prospect High School on January 15, where Jason placed fourth, Santosh placed second, and Chris took the championship in his weight class. Santosh, Jason, and Chris are all ranked wrestlers, with Chris ranked 27th in the state of California.
On January 21 and 22, the team competed in the Mid-Cal Wrestling Tournament at Gilroy High School. At the tournament, Chris placed third overall, and Jason placed 12th.
“We’ve competed in the top tournaments this year, and we’ve come out on top. [We have] had a medal in every tournament, so that’s really special for us. We’re on varsity level so we’re going against the best section. [I am] really proud of this team,” Coach Stinson said.
Before the upcoming CCS Championships, the team will participate in a series of different of tournaments, including 2011 Mission San Jose Tournament and SCVAL Second Man Tournament in February.
![Senior Gabe Sachse and sophomore Shaurya Jain hug after winning the game. “I don’t want to say goodbye because [the seniors] are my friends outside of baseball as well,” Shaurya said. “Either way, I wanted to go all out for the seniors.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/53-KAT_4240-e1747776384650-1200x778.jpg)
