![“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)
- Boys Golf
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- Cross Country
- Girls Golf
- Girls Tennis
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- Track and Field
CIF’s purple tier sports allowed to begin competing
Following the most recent state and county COVID-19 regulations, the CIF’s purple tier sports, which include cross country, golf, tennis, swimming, and track and field, have been allowed to resume.
February 11, 2021
The California Interscholastic Federation’s (CIF) purple tier sports, which include cross country, golf, tennis, swimming and track and field, have been allowed to resume following the most recent state and county COVID-19 regulations, as per an email from athletics director Dan Molin.
Information regarding how to sign up for the purple tier sports can be found here.
The remaining sports, which are split up into the red, orange and yellow tiers will only resume if future county guidelines permit. If the seasons for these sports do not begin by their assigned cancellation dates (which can be found in the image below), they will be shut down permanently for the year. The start dates listed indicate the days that tryouts will be held, as some teams may still begin training before then.
Water polo and swimming athletes can register for a three-week cohort from Feb. 16 to March 4, in order to prepare for the aquatics season, which starts on March 8. Students can register for the cohort using this form.
Bryan Zhang (12), captain of the boys varsity golf team, is planning on playing when golf resumes, and he is most looking forward to being able to spend time with his teammates for the first time, since his junior season was cut short in March due to the pandemic.
“I can’t wait to play practice rounds and matches with the team, where we are focused on our score, yet also able to have fun and enjoy our time together,” Bryan said. “I am also looking forward to the competitive energy of matches and tournaments that cannot be recreated by playing by yourself.”
Alexa Lowe (11), who is a member of the girls varsity track and field team, is confident that the athletics department will create safe conditions for the student-athletes who choose to compete this year.
“I’m not really concerned about returning, because I trust that the athletics directors and coaches will make the right decisions regarding COVID-19 restrictions,” Alexa said. “One thing I hope [for] is that students are motivated to [play] and that we will still have a decent sized team in the spring.”
Similar to past on-campus events, athletes will still follow the safety protocols that have been put in place by state and county. Once again, only one cohort will be allowed at a time, and athletes are prohibited from doing an outside activity while participating in a Harker program. Any competitions being held will prioritize safety by accommodating the current guidelines and following reasonable schedules.
In his email, Molin recommended that students register for purple tier sports to give them the best chance of playing competitively this year. If county guidelines allow the higher-risk tier sports to resume, athletes can choose to switch to one of those activities.
