![“[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 defeated Castilleja 224-255 and Mercy 224-262 in a tri-match at Moffett Field Golf Club on Sept. 18.
Joyce He (9) and S Wang (10) started the match off for Harker in the tee box of the first hole. Frosh Abigail Wang and Sophia Zhu followed as the next Harker pair to tee off. Because three schools competed at the match, two Harker girls were paired with two girls from either Castilleja or Mercy.
Eight girls from the golf team competed in the match. Joyce not only scored the lowest for Harker with 38 strokes but also set a school record of scoring below 40 at Moffett field. Allison Yang (11) came in second with 42, followed by captain Emi Fujimura (12) and Sophia with 47.
“I had a rough start, but I stayed hopeful and was able to get it going again,” Emi said. “Overall, the match went pretty well today, and we’re all happy with the outcome.”
Last year, the girls golf team qualified for the Northern California Regional Championships. The team hopes to succeed again this season.
“I want our team to do the best we can, and if that means making it to Norcals, then our team will be really happy,” S said. “We’ve been doing pretty well so far, so I think we can make it to NorCal. I’ve enjoyed playing on the team this season, so I’ll continue next year as well.”
Although golf is a solo sport, the support girls offer their teammates enhances performance in matches. On the Moffett field, when the teammates passed one another between holes, they encouraged each other to stay calm and focused.
“I joined as a junior, and I noticed that the team is really close knit,” Ariana Gauba (11) said. “It’s really easy to become friends with the whole team. Our teamwork also shows up in the good outcome of our matches, like today.”
The girls golf team currently holds an undefeated 10-0 record. The team next plays Crystal Springs Uplands and Menlo at the Bay Field Golf Club course on Monday at 3:30 p.m.
