![“[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)
Varsity boys tennis conquered Sacred Heart Preparatory 6-1 on senior night at Del Mar High School on April 22.
Preceding the match, the team held a ceremony for the seniors Vyom Vidyarthi, Jeffery Zhang and Yinan Zhou, presenting them with bouquets and personalized posters designed by friends and family.
Head coach John Fruterro appreciated how this group of seniors brought the team together especially through the COVID-19 pandemic. They brought their energy on and off-court, leaving their legacy as both players and leaders that the team will always remember.
“They were instrumental in this transition for Harker boy’s tennis from being a team that sometimes struggled to make the CCS tournament to one that’s one of the favorites to win this tournament,” Fruterro said. “They are willing to do anything and everything for their teammates. This is a season by a historic team.”
In the singles round, sophomore Tanishk Konduri dominated his opponent without conceding any points both rounds 6-0, 6-0. Sophomore Rithvik Navad triumphed in his first set 6-0, but in the middle of his second match, he fell behind, before coming back to defeat his opponent 6-3. Junior Paras Painuly defeated his opponents in two swift matches 6-2, 6-1. Although sophomore Ryan Miao entered into multiple close ties, he fell short in two tight matches, losing 4-6, 4-6.
All the doubles players prevailed in their sets. Even with a couple missed serves in their first match, captain Vyom and Jeffery secured two victories 6-4, 6-2. Yinan and frosh Arjun Khara demolished their opponents in both sets 6-1, 6-1. After battling through their first set to gain a two point lead of 7-5, doubles players Yash Sachdeva (11) and Ameya Choudhari (9) regained their rhythm and pulled through to win their second set 6-1.
Jeffery reflected on his growth on the team since joining in sixth grade and practicing with the same coach and teammates. Through their positive feedback and the support of his partner, he learned how to deal with setbacks during games.
“Vyom and I talk it out to each other: what we did wrong, how we can do the same thing,” Jeffery said. “We reset because every new point is a new point. Don’t keep the score in your head. You think of tennis as an individual sport, but being on a team, you play with a lot of other people, and it’s not only your match that matters, but another one of our teammates and their match that matters as well.”
After the matches, the team celebrated with a surprise video that Yash edited for the seniors. Each non-senior recorded a thirty second clip to express their gratitude towards the leadership and guidance of the current seniors.
Sophomore Colin Li will miss the seniors’ presences, noting how each senior brought their own personality to the team, with Vyom’s leadership, Yinan’s compassion and Jeffery’s lighthearted attitude.
“I’m really proud of them and how they’ve grown in the past two years,” Colin said. “They bring this energy that wouldn’t be there without them. I was looking at some of the seniors’ reactions to the video, and they seemed pretty happy. I felt like it was a great way to give thanks to them and wish them luck on wherever they’re going next.”
Currently, the team holds a 12-3 record and will play against Menlo High School in the league individual tournament on Wednesday, May 7 for CCS.
