![“[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 basketball team succumbed to Half Moon Bay High School 55-65 in the CCS semifinals game on Feb. 22 at home.
Since home CCS games are rare, the event drew a large crowd of parents as well as students and faculty from the lower, middle and upper school campuses.
Harker lost the tip off, but co-captain and guard Isabella Lo (11) recovered the ball, passing to co-captain and guard Claire Miao (12) for a layup. The crowd’s cheers of “Defense!” supported the Eagles as they held off the Cougars’ offense by blocking their rebounds, and after a 3-pointer from Claire, the Eagles led 10-2. The Eagles’ fouls led to free throws for the Cougars, but Harker continued to make advances. Co-captain and center Emily Mitnick (11) contributed with a layup followed by a 3-pointer from Isabella, ending the first quarter up 19-11.
The Eagles started off the second quarter strong with a 3-pointer by forward Selena Chen (9), earning loud cheers from the audience. The Cougars continued making layups, tightening the score to only trail by two points. Harker responded with a layup from guard Isha Kotalwar (12), followed by a 3-pointer from Isabella. The Eagles continued to rebound the ball and after two layups from guard Claire Yu (10), the Eagles led 38-26 at the end of the first half.
“We were thrilled that we were 12 points ahead at the end of the second quarter, but we realized that the work was not done,” Emily said. “We needed to stay disciplined and keep playing with the same intensity. There were things to work on, but we were also proud of ourselves for the way we performed in the first half.”
Despite the Eagles conceding a few points to Half Moon Bay early in the second half, Emily put Harker ahead 39-31 with a free throw. After a string of fouls against the Cougars, Claire M. made a free throw and 2-pointer. Isabella drove past defenders and passed to Claire M., who made another 2-pointer. The Cougars retaliated with a series of 3-pointers and free throws, ending the quarter 49-42 with Harker leading.
During the last quarter, Half Moon Bay took their first lead of the game, setting the score to 49-50. After a free throw by Emily, the Cougars gained momentum and widened the gap to 50-57. In a pivotal moment, Emily navigated past defenders and made a crucial layup, the Eagles now only five points behind, and the crowd rallied with Harker’s spirited “color shout” chant. Nonetheless, the Cougars continued to score while Harker struggled to capitalize. With one final attempt by Isabella, the buzzer sounded, sealing the Cougars’ victory at 55-65.
Despite the game’s outcome, assistant athletic director Alfredo Alves highlighted the Eagles’ energy throughout the match and commended the girls for their performance.
“They started off really hot, came out ready to play,” Alves said. “But just unfortunately, they didn’t get the win. Throughout the game, you could just tell how passionate they were and how much that game meant to them, so it was a fun game.”
Team manager Sophie Yeh (9), who spends practices with the players, appreciates the close bond the girls share. She was proud of the team’s effort in the game and the overall season.
“This was definitely one of the best games they’ve done this year,” Sophie said. “They really pushed hard and gave it their all. I feel sad because I really wanted to see them head to NorCals, but they still did really well. Every single moment this season was honestly a highlight.”
The team ended their season with a final record of 18-6.
