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

Iris Wang (10) poses with her hockey stick. “I just really love all the ups and downs of hockey,” Iris said. “You win as a team, you lose as a team, and although losing can be hard, I like that its a team experience and everyone lifts each other up.”

Ice breaking, victory chasing

by Emma Milner and Claire Yu March 28, 2024

Wind whips at Iris Wang’s (10) face as she stickhandles the puck, deftly weaving through defenders. She glances at the scoreboard, realizing that she only needs to keep the puck in her control for a...

Tennis player Pavith Khara (10) tosses the ball atop her racket. She plays for the varsity girls tennis team and competes nationally in the girls under-16 category.

Apex: Calm on the court, persistent in play

by Emma Milner, Co-Sports Editor December 12, 2023

In the scorching 100-degree Fahrenheit heat of Las Vegas, Pavith Khara (10) battles her opponent on the other side of the tennis net. The match nears four hours of play as she recovers from her first set...

Varun Fuloria (12) poses with a squash racket. Varun will continue his squash career at Columbia University in the fall of 2024.

Apex: Playing the game of patience

by Emma Milner, Co-Sports Editor October 18, 2023

Many athletes have an idol, from basketball star Stephen Curry to Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. But for Varun Fuloria (12), it’s squash three-time World title holder Ramy Ashour — “The Artist.”...

Ashley Hong (12) performs a butterfly stroke while racing for the Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics (PASA) swim team. “I like that swimming is a team sport but also individual,” Ashley said. “I also really enjoy relays — I feel it’s super fun [because you] work with your team. (Provided by Ashley Hong)

Apex: Deep dive into swimmer’s success

by Emma Milner, Co-Sports Editor September 10, 2023

Gliding through the water, her fingertips touch the wall and her head bobs up out of the water as she hears the last of her teammates’ cheers. The timer stops, and she quickly turns around to see a ‘1’...

Apex: Competition as Collaboration

Apex: Competition as Collaboration

by Katerina Matta June 13, 2023

Picture game point, 24-22 in the second set. Edis Mesic (11) readies himself for the opponent’s serve, feeling no shakiness, no nerves, just a quiet calm. Despite entering the match as underdogs,...

Apex: John Zeng (12)

Apex: Football athlete creates home through team

by Jessica Tang and Alysa Suleiman December 11, 2021

Apex is Harker Aquila’s recurring feature profile on the upper school's student-athletes, delivered either in a written or video format. This Apex profile features John Zeng (12), co-captain of the 2021-22...

Imogene Leneham (12) poses on Davis Field with gold pom-poms. As captain of Harkers cheerleading team this year, Imogene is in charge of choreographing sections of new routines and teaching them to her fellow cheerleaders.

Apex: Cheerleader defines grit of sport through commitment

by Julie Shi, Reporter December 4, 2021

Upbeat music pumps through the air as Imogene Leneham (12), captain of Harker’s varsity cheerleading team, performs with her cheer members at Harker’s 2021 Spirit Rally. Imogene leaps into the air...

Emily Novikov (11) poses outside the Blackford Campus tennis courts with her Yonex Ezone 98  tennis racket. Emily helped lead the varsity girls tennis team to a CCS Championship in her sophomore year.

Apex: The right mindset

by Carter Chadwick, TALON co-Photo Editor August 27, 2021

As the match approaches, tennis player Emily Novikov (11) reaches into her bag and pulls out her jump rope and headphones. She slips on the headphones, turns on music and begins to jump rope. Slowly, the...

Rigo Gonzales (10) sets up in his ready stance at the start of the track. Rigo qualified for CCS as a freshman last year, after running three miles in 17 minutes and 22 seconds at the CCS qualifier meet.

Apex: Hustle and heart

by Muthu Panchanatham, Co-Sports Editor April 2, 2021

A crowd forms at the end of the race, anticipating a close finish by the top competitors. As the runners come into view, they can be seen making a last ditch effort to pull ahead, exhaustion already set...

Ishaan Mantripragada (11) began playing soccer at the age of five. As a striker, Ishaan relies on his physical attributes as well as his awareness to bypass his defenders and score goals.

Apex: Work hard, play hard

by Muthu Panchanatham, Co-Sports Editor February 16, 2021

A complacent defender watches as the ball arrives at his feet, believing he has time to control it and pass to someone else. Seemingly out of nowhere, a figure clad in dark green flies at him with incredible...

Claire Chen (10) intently examines the target hole before her shot. Last year, Claire finished 3rd in CCS and 5th in NorCal for girls golf.

Apex: Built for the game

by Muthu Panchanatham, Co-Sports Editor December 22, 2020

A silence settles on the rich green grass as the golfer steps up to putt on the last hole of the course. With her eyes fixed on the pristine cylindrical divot, she measures the distance between the hole...

Alice Feng (11) performs her skate routine with a flowing red fan as a prop. Her bejeweled dress recalls elements of Chinese culture, an inspiration to the routine.

Apex: Dancing at dawn on a stage of ice

by Anna Vazhaeparambil, Editor-in-chief October 31, 2020

If there’s one thing Alice Feng (11) has learned after nearly ten years of figure skating, it’s how to wake up early in the morning. Driving into the Solar4America Ice parking lot at 5:20 a.m. on...

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