![“[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)
Varsity girls golf breaks record in victory over Sacred Heart Preparatory
After putting the ball, Katherine Zhu (11) watches her ball as it rolls into the hole. The girls set a team score record in a 183-194 victory over Sacred Heart Prepatory on Wednesday.
September 22, 2016
The varsity girls golf team won its third match of the season against Sacred Heart Preparatory 183-194, recording the team’s lowest score ever at the Los Lagos Golf Course.
The girls broke their previous record-low of 189 on Monday at a home loss against Menlo School. They then played Mercy Burlingame High School, beating their opponents 194-234 on Tuesday.
The evening’s top scorers included Vanessa Tyagi (11), Katelyn Vo (9) and Katherine Zhu (11), shooting 39, 35 and 31, respectively.
Vanessa Tyagi (11), who shot a personal record on Wednesday, described the team’s mindset entering the competition.
“Coming into the match, we were all kind of nervous,” she said. “We lost on Monday and knew that today was going to be another difficult round. I think that once we teed off and got our groove going, nothing could stop us.”
The victory over Sacred Heart Preparatory marks the girls’ third victory of the season, advancing the girls golf team to a 3-1 record in the West Bay Athletics League (WBAL). After qualifying for CCS last year for the first time in a decade, the girls golf team looks towards attaining the coveted qualification again.
Co-captain Alexis Gauba (12) noted the efforts of the team and the experience of playing against other high school teams.
“The team’s efforts came through as we were able to gain a victory and shoot a record low 183,” she said. “It’s always great being able to compete with fellow golfers in the Bay – we don’t just compete but we also get to know each other and have a good time.”
After the girls recorded a win and a loss against Sacred Heart Preparatory last season, a small rivalry developed, which contributed to the team’s more competitive focus and mindset during the match.
Co-captain Vienna Wang (12) reflected on the victory in relation to the competition.
“[Sacred Heart Preparatory] is a very strong team, and they beat us once last year. I think the competition really drove us to do our best, and our record score reflects that,” she said. “People say golf is an individual sport, but I truly think that our team works really well together.”
The girls are set to tee off against Castilleja School on Monday at 3 p.m. at the Palo Alto Hills Country Club.
