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The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The student news site of The Harker School.

Harker Aquila

The varsity boys tennis team laugh as the watch a video honoring the seniors. Each non-senior recorded a 30-second segment expressing their grattitude.

Varsity boys tennis defeat Sacred Heart Preparatory on senior night

by Lily Peng, Sports Editor and Photo Editor April 30, 2025

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...

Frosh Emma Wang rounds the curve in the girls 200-meter dash. She competed in the 100 and 200 and also contributed to a top three finish in the girls 4x400 relay.

Track and field earns top finishes at WBAL meet

by William Jiang, Copy Editor April 20, 2025

Varsity and junior varsity track and field teams competed in the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) 3A meet at Bellarmine on Wednesday. Harker raced against King’s Academy, Pinewood, Notre Dame and Mercy...

Outside hitter Aaron Guo (12) leaps into the air for a kill during the first set. The Eagles dominated Lynbrook to sweep all three sets.

Varsity boys volleyball crushes Lynbrook 25-14, 24-18, 25-11

by Jeremy Peng and Wenjie Zou April 17, 2025

Varsity boys volleyball triumphed over Lynbrook High School 25-14, 24-18 and 25-11 away on Friday. Middle blocker Kairui Sun (11) opened the first set with an ace. Lynbrook pulled ahead off fumbles...

Outside hitter Ethan Gu leaps into the air for a kill. “In the first set, everything was flowing well, Ethan said. “Even though we got caught up on some serves, we still managed to side out in a timely fashion and get our lead back."

Junior varsity boys volleyball conquers Lynbrook 25-18, 25-23

by Victoria Li and Heather Wang April 4, 2025

Junior varsity boys volleyball defeated Lynbrook High School 25-18, 25-23 in the Zhang Gymnasium on March 26. Middle blocker Spencer Mo (10) won the first point with a kill, one of his seven during...

When parental involvement crosses from encouragement to overcontrolling, the athlete’s love for their sport often shifts to showing signs of dread. “During the start of the season, I liked it, but over time, he really increased expectations on me, and it definitely hurt my enjoyment of the game," an anonymous basketball player said.

Parental pressure dampens sports passions

by Tiffany Zhu, Wenjie Zou, and Claire Xu March 28, 2025

Sitting on the bench during the game, a basketball player locks eyes with his dad on the bleachers, his gaze fixed. The player’s shoulders tense as he waits to enter the match, knowing that each minute...

Varsity baseball player Shaurya Jain (10)  winds up for a pitch. “When you’re pitching, you’re the person with the ball who initiates the whole game," Shaurya said. "You get to control the tempo, and I found that really appealing.”

APEX: All-around ace

by Tiffany Zhu and Lily Peng March 27, 2025

Two outs, up by one run at the bottom of the seventh inning. Sophomore Shaurya Jain steadies himself on the mound, ready to pitch as the opposing team’s batter steps up. With this pitch, he can secure...

Junior varsity boys soccer player Luca Barchietto (10) competes in a pickup league on the weekends.  Pickup sports allow athletes to experiment with new techniques that they would otherwise not be able to implement in more high stakes environments.

No pressure, all play

by Sam Li and Chelsea Xie March 26, 2025

Sports can carry the connotation of highly competitive environments where teams or individual players ultimately triumph over another in a high-stakes match. However, for those that still want to play...

I’ve loved playing with a team, undergoing all the ups and downs of a long season together. Those shared secret smiles after running mountains or the heartbreak of losing in CCS are moments taken together.

Last buzzer on a lifetime of memories

by Isabella Lo, Aquila Managing Editor March 26, 2025

Endings are always bittersweet. I knew it was inevitable that the season would come to an end this year; yet I still find myself reaching out again. Four years on varsity with 15 hour weeks—that I definitely...

Varsity boys soccer player Ryder Hewitt (11) leads a team cheer before a match on Davis Field. Playing on their home turf provides the team an advantage as they are more accustomed to the environment.

Home facilities boost athletic performance

by Wenjie Zou, Sam Li, and Claire Xu March 23, 2025

Varsity boys soccer captain Alec Zhang (12) steps onto Davis Field, ready to face Priory’s varsity squad. Just a few weeks prior, the team lost 0-4 on Priory’s rough and muddy grass—shots slowed,...

Executive order "Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports" allows agencies to require federally funded institutions to define athletes’ genders by their birth-assigned sex. The order threatens to impact high school and college athletes, and states decide whether to follow the president’s directions.

Transgender athlete ban sparks fairness and inclusivity debates

by Tiffany Zhu and Claire Xu March 11, 2025

President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athletes from joining and competing on women’s sports teams on the third day of his term. Titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,”...

Whereas most WNBA players play outside of the United States during the offseason, Unrivaled offers them the opportunity to showcase their skills at home. Beyond remaining within the country, players can also earn sponsorships and gain visibility through playing in the league.

Unrivaled basketball league uplifts WNBA players during off season

by Isabella Lo and Jessica Wang March 9, 2025

With six teams and 36 players, Unrivaled, the new 3v3 basketball league founded by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart in 2023, aims to empower female athletes during their offseason and...

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