![“[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 boys tennis team demolished Sacred Heart Preparatory 6-1 at Del Mar High School on Tuesday.
The Eagles made a strong start, with their first and second singles players Tanishk Konduri (9) and Paras Painuly (10) both taking their first sets 6-0. They successfully converted their advantages into match wins and closed out their second sets 6-0 and 6-1, respectively.
Rithvik Navad (9) played in the third singles spot and also quickly dispatched his opponent. His strong offensive performance led to a 6-2, 6-3 two-set victory.
In the fourth singles slot, Eddie Zhang (10)’s play was similarly dominant, taking down his Gator opponent in just two sets and dropping only one point against his opponent. He attributed his win to his methodical mindset and dynamic play.
“I wanted to be aggressive but also not overly aggressive, so I made sure I maintained consistency,” Eddie said. “I didn’t want to miss and give them points, but I also didn’t want to play too passive, so it was a difficult balance.”
Harker’s top doubles team of juniors Vyom Vidyarthi and Jeffrey Zhang fought a more difficult opponent and dropped the first set 5-7. They bounced back to a victory with a 6-2 second set win followed by a 10-7 third set win in tiebreakers.
Co-head varsity boys tennis coach J.P. Fruttero remarked on the team’s improvement throughout their regular season. With Vyom and Jeffrey being two of the only four upperclassmen on the roster, Fruttero highlighted the team’s growth, especially for those who transitioned to high school athletics this year.
“We have a young team, and so this was a good test, for not only this season but also upcoming ones,” Fruttero said. “Our teams improve throughout every season, as they have for the last couple of seasons.”
Yinan Zhou (11) and Ryan Miao (9) went 6-0 in their first set and continued to have a strong performance in the second, winning 6-1. Their victory helped the team win 6-1 overall against the Gators.
Thomas Liu (12) served as the alternate for the team, cheering on his teammates from the sidelines. Thomas was not surprised at the victory, attributing the team’s success to their drive to win and perform well.
“I thought we were going to do pretty well and we actually did,” Thomas said. “I know the team is good since they’re very motivated, and they’re spirited. They’re ready to win, and they did.”
The team currently holds a season record of 3-1 and faces Crystal Springs Uplands on Thursday.
