![“[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 varsity girls golf team triumphed over Sacred Heart Preparatory 204-255 in their fifth match of the season on Tuesday at Sunnyvale Golf Course.
Juniors Allison Yang and Khanhlinh Tran teed off first, and the rest of the team followed suit in ten minute intervals. Each playing group consisted of two Harker girls paired against two players from Sacred Heart Prep.
The girls played a total of nine holes and ended at around 8:30 p.m. Allison won her first medalist honors of the season with a 36 (+1), carding one birdie, two bogeys and six pars. Ashley Mo (10) and Joyce He (9) came in second with 39s (+4), and Anika Pallapothu (11) placed third with a 44 (+9). Harker’s top six players competed in the match, but the five best scores were counted.
The team competes at Sunnyvale Golf Course every year, but Tuesday’s match presented them with a unique set of challenges. The Eagles came out of the tournament with higher scores than usual mainly due to the unevenness of the greens and the abundance of trees in the fairway, which blocked visibility of the hole. Despite their win, Joyce acknowledges that there is always room for improvement.
“I think we have to learn how to have better course management,” Joyce said. “The greens on this course were super bumpy, and sometimes they were fast [or] slow, so we definitely have to learn how to adapt to new situations every match. I think because we weren’t used to these conditions, we lost a few strokes.”
The Eagles currently sit at the top of the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) standings and are the only undefeated team in the league. In strategic practice sessions, they analyze both their strengths and areas of improvement. By pinpointing specific weaknesses in their golf game, such as “lag putting”, a term used to describe putting from long distances, the girls can consistently enhance their performance in tournaments.
“We’ve been making great strides in our practices, [whether that be] tightening up our short game, working on distance control in putting or tweaking our swings,” middle and upper school head golf coach Ie-Chen Cheng said. “[I’m] really delighted with the progress of our golfers. Our top goal for the season is to have fun, work together as a team [and] be committed to the sport. Then the results will come.”
Following their victorious match, the girls are setting their sights on future aspirations, such as clinching their sixth consecutive League Championship title, placing at CCS and advancing to the Northern California Regional Championships.
“Although our scores could have been better [today and] in previous matches, I believe that the connection, bond and depth within our team can take us far this year,” Khanhlinh said. “Even with a win, our performance was off and that was reflected in our scores. With hard work and practice, I believe that we can hone our skills and prepare for CCS and Norcals.”
The varsity girls golf team now holds a 5-0 record. The team plays Castilleja and Mercy next at Moffett Golf Club on Monday at 3:30 p.m.
