As the regular winter sports season comes to an end, one Harker team prepares for the postseason, while three others fight for the right to play in CCS.
Wrestling
The varsity wrestling team competed in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League finals this past weekend at Gunn High School. Two Harker wrestlers finished in the top six in their weight class to advance to the CCS tournament. Anthony Contreras, grade 10, placed third, and Davis Howard, grade 11, became only the fourth Harker wrestler in school history to make it to the league finals, where he placed second. Also finishing strong were Daniel Reidenbach, grade 11, who finished eight in his weight class, and Dolan Dworak, grade 10, who finished second in the JV tournament. CCS begins this Friday at Independence High School.
MS Wrestling
Dezi Johnson, grade 6, continues to rack up the trophies as he won the middle school division of the Valentine’s Day Massacre Central California Open in Paso Robles. Congrats, Dezi!
Boys Soccer
The boys soccer team fell to Crystal Springs Uplands 3-1 last week. The Eagles are now 6-6-1 on the season as they head into the final two games of the year. The Eagles host King’s Academy on Wednesday at Davis Field, and travel to Priory on Friday.
Girls Soccer
The girls soccer team ended its season with a 6-0 loss to Menlo last week. Good job this year, ladies!
Boys Basketball
The boys basketball team dropped two big road league games last week, falling to Eastside College Prep 61-59 and Priory 73-41. In the loss to ECP, Elijah Edgehill, grade 12, had another double double as he scored a team high 18 points and grabbed a team high 13 rebounds. Roy Yuan, grade 9, added 17 points in the loss. Edgehill led all Harker scorers again in the loss to Priory with 15 points. The Eagles drop to 11-11 on the season with two games left to play. Harker hosts Crystal Springs Uplands tonight at Blackford at 6:30 p.m. and the Menlo Knights on Friday.
Girls Basketball
The girls varsity basketball team fell to co-first place Priory last week 63-50, and will face the other first place team, Mercy San Francisco, Tuesday night in the city. In the loss to Priory, Jordon Thompson, grade 11, had another big night scoring 31 points. The Eagles go to 16-7 for the season.
Cross Country
Last week, Niki Iyer, grade 11, competed in the California Winter Track Championships at Cerritos College. In the 1500-meter run, Niki placed 28th out of 58 of the best runners in the state. Great job, Niki!
Nate Kelly, grade 10 was named offensive co-MVP and classmate Anthony Contreras, was named defensive co-MVP. Four Harker students were named to the first team: Demonte Aleem, grade 9; Johnathon Keller, grade 12; Jadan McDermott, grade 10; and James Pauli, grade 10. Four more were named to the second team: Jalen Clark, grade 10; Saketh Gurram, grade 11; Will Park, grade 11; and Trenton Thomas, grade 12. Congrats to all for a record season and for these honors!
Last weekend, seniors Vivek Bharadwaj, Elina Sendonaris and Jessica Zhu, and junior Manan Shah competed in the US Invitational Young Physicists Tournament in Lynchburg, Va., where they finished as finalists. Harker won the tournament last year, so was the team to beat this year. The 2016 team was among 11 that participated in the tournament, which was held in a round-robin format in which one team, acting as the reporter, displayed a solution to a physics problem that the opposing team, known as the opponent, then investigated by discussing the strong and weak points of the solution. Naman Jindal, Alice Wu and Tong Wu, all grade 12 and Neelesh Ramachandran, grade 10, assisted the competitors.
The girls basketball team picked up a big league win versus Mercy Burlingame last week as the Eagles defeated the Crusaders 69-32. Jordan Thompson, grade 11, led all scorers with 30 points. On Tuesday night the Eagles defeated Crystal Springs Uplands 57-16. Thompson had another big game with 31 points. She was also featured in an article about her amazing year. Check it out on prep2prep: http://prep2prep.com/feature.aspx?ArticleID=9507
The Eagles finish the regular season with games against the top two teams in the WBAL Skyline division, Priory and Mercy SF.
The boys basketball team dropped two league contests last week to bring its season record to 11-9. In a heartbreaking 58-57 loss to Sacred Heart Prep, Elijah Edgehill, grade 12, scored 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Then in a 71-63 defeat, Edgehill had a 19 point, 13 rebound game, and Evan Lohn, grade 12, had a season best 16 points. The Eagles travel to Eastside Prep tonight and then to Priory on Friday.
The boys soccer team fell to Menlo last Friday 4-1, dropping its season record to 6-5-1. The Eagles host Crystal Springs Uplands Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. on Davis Field.
Girls Soccer
On Tuesday King’s Academy defeated the girls soccer team 6-0. Earlier last week the Eagles lost to Menlo 3-0, Castiilleja 4-0 and Notre Dame SJ 1-0. The Eagles finish their season this Thursday at Menlo. Good luck girls!
Wrestling
The Wrestling team traveled to Homestead early last week and fell to the Mustangs 66-6. Later in the week, the Eagles hosted Lynbrook, but were also defeated 57-36. However, Anthony Contreras, grade 10, won by decision, and Diego Figueroa, grade 11, and Davis Howard, grade 11, each won by fall. This past weekend the Eagles competed in the Wilcox Tournament where Harker finished in 10th place as a team. In their respective weight classes, Kobe Howard, grade 9, finished second, Contreras finished third, and Dolan Dworak, grade 10, finished sixth. The Eagles begin the SCVAL tournament this weekend at Gunn High School.
Adventure on the high seas was in store for audiences of this year’s grade 5 show, “Pirates! The Musical,” directed by Kellie Binney-Smart. A cast of 132 took the stage for a series of sea shanties about their swashbuckling exploits. In addition to the fifth graders, several faculty members joined in on the fun, including Katie Molin, Shelby Guarino, Jared Ramsey, Gerry-louise Robinson, Kate Shanahan and Kristin Giammona. Songs performed during the show included “A Pirate’s Life for Me,” “Stowaway,” “King of the High C’s” and “The Pirate King.”
Grade 5 students also worked behind the scenes, as Danny Dunn’s grade 5 technical theater students acted as the production crew. Costumer Karoli Clever arranged the wardrobe for the sea-faring cast and Whitney Pintello’s scenic designs perfectly matched the theme of the show.
A huge cast of 140 dancers paid tribute to the songs and styles of the 80s and 90s at the 2016 upper school dance show, “Mixed Tape: Songs to Dance To,” held Jan. 29 and 30 at the Blackford Theater. Separated into two acts – one for each decade – the show featured a total of 21 routines, set to such hits as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Wham!’s “Wake Me Up,” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”
The show was directed by upper school dance teacher Karl Kuehn, who based the theme of the show on his own childhood, much of which was spent making cassette tapes that contained his favorite songs. Kuehn and fellow teacher Rachelle Haun provided most of the choreography, with choreography also contributed by seniors Sharanya Balaji, Ankita Sharma and Allison Wang, and juniors Emre Ezer, Hazal Gurcan, Sanjana Marce and Surabhi Rao.
Having her letter to the editor on the importance of making higher education accessible for all published in the San Jose Mercury News gave grade 8 student Mahika Halepete a heightened appreciation for the power of the written word.
Halepete wrote the letter in response to an assignment in Cyrus Merrill’s grade 8 U.S. History class. “This was a part of an activity where students identify modern 2016 issues (human trafficking, gender inequality, education reform, etc.) that reflect the same issues they researched in 1850 (slavery, women’s suffrage, education reform, temperance),” Merrill explained. “They then write a letter to the editor of any paper(s) they want, as well as convert it into a letter to their state legislator, since many of these are actually state issues. They have to make connections from the past to the present in both letters.”
Halepete said she was surprised to learn that her letter got picked up by the local newspaper. “To be honest, I didn’t even consider the possibility of being published. I was incredibly excited, since I never expected this to happen!” She added that she does not believe many students are fully aware of the startling reality of how few people have the opportunity to attend college.
“We should never take for granted the blessings we have, especially our ability to pursue an education. I hope that by writing, I can help others become aware of how lucky we are,” she said.
In addition to having her letter to the editor published, Halepete won first place in the district for an essay on “What Freedom Means To Me” in the Patriot’s Pen essay competition. Sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the annual contest attracts more than 125,000 student entries in grades 6-8.
Feeling fortunate for educational opportunities is also what prompted Halepete to write in the essay that “freedom means more than a red, white and blue flag waving in the breeze as fireworks fill the sky and the National Anthem is sung.”
She said after attending a talk by Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, she thought about how much her education really meant to her. “Around the world, over 60 million young girls are denied their education because of financial and societal barriers. Families, especially in developing countries, don’t believe that their daughters have potential. If the finances are tight and a choice must be made, it is the male sibling who gets to go to school. Often times, governments encourage discrimination against young girls, simply because of their gender,” she noted.
Halepete is passionate about human rights and social justice issues, often using her writing skills to advocate for her beliefs. Last year, she wrote and sang an original song called “Walked Away” after leading a student assembly on social justice and researching undocumented immigrant families separated by deportation. Her song was inspired by those stories.
She also set up a jewelry business on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade goods, to raise money for World Vision, a humanitarian organization that works with communities worldwide to fight poverty and injustice. Halepete, who wrote the marketing copy on her site, was a finalist in a teen entrepreneur competition organized by Girls Life Magazine/Nickelodeon and was featured in the October/November 2015 issue.
“My life’s goal is to change the lives of other people for the better. I do believe that writing is a very powerful tool, and, if utilized properly, can make a significant difference in the world,” she said.
The boys basketball team opened last week with a 66-49 loss to Menlo, with Elijah Edgehill, grade 12, leading the Eagles with 19 points and 12 rebounds. But the team surged back for a huge league win on Friday night versus King’s Academy. Roy Yuan, grade 9, led Harker with 15 points and Edgehill added 12 points and 17 rebounds as the Eagles came out on top with the 51-47 victory. The boys team hosts Sacred Heart Prep tonight at Blackford at 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
The girls basketball team dropped two tough league matchups last week to Mercy SF and King’s Academy. Junior Jordan Thompson led all Harker scorers with 22 points against Mercy and 15 points against King’s Academy. Satchi Thockchom, grade 10, added 13 points against King’s Academy. The girls team looks to get back in the win column as it travels to Mercy Burlingame on Friday.
Boys Soccer
The boys soccer team went 1-1 last week with a 3-0 win over Priory and a 2-1 loss to Sacred Heart Prep. In the win over Priory, Omar Hamade, grade 12, scored two goals and Oisin Coveney, grade 12, had one goal. The Eagles will host Menlo on Friday at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Kicks for Cancer night at Davis Field.
Girls Soccer
With an 8-1 loss to Sacred Heart Prep on Friday night, the girls soccer team is still looking for its first win of the season. The team hosts Castilleja today at 3:30 p.m. on Davis Field, before traveling to Notre Dame San Jose on Thursday. The girls will be back on Davis Field Friday at 4:45 p.m. as part of the Kicks for Cancer night versus Menlo.
Wrestling
The wrestling team traveled to Milpitas last week and fell to the Trojans 67-9. Anthony Contreras, grade 10, picked up a win with a 6-2 decision, and Davis Howard, grade 11, won by forfeit. The Eagles travel to Homestead tonight and host Lynbrook at Blackford on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Harker upper school students represented Brazil at the Santa Teresa Model United Nations Conference on Jan. 29 and 30. They debated issues ranging from digital security to international pandemics and had one of the strongest showings Harker has had at this conference, with every student receiving recognition by their committee chairs.
Seniors Sophia Luo and Shannon Hong were recognized as outstanding delegates and received the Excellence in Research Award for their work on the World Bank. Sandip Nirmel, grade 11, and Logan Bhamidipaty, grade 9, we named outstanding delegates for their work on the Historical Security Council. Juniors Anuva Mittal and Haley Tran received outstanding delegate awards for their work on UNESCO. Sophomore Amy Dunphy received a verbal commendation for her work on the Legal Committee. And Jason Huang, grade 9, was recognized with a verbal commendation and was elected as the closing assembly speaker for his committee work on the Disarmament and Security Committee.
This is the second conference Harker Model UN has attended this year. At both conferences, every Harker student received committee recognition, which is a unique and challenging accomplishment, as it requires every student to be well-versed in international policies as well as the policies of the country they represent. The students have to write position papers in which they complete research on the positions of their country and then have to speak in front of large groups and interact with other students at the conference in order to accomplish the goals of the international committee on which they serve.
While the travel conference season is over this year for Harker Model UN, members of the leadership board hope to develop a one-day experience for Harker middle school students in the spring. The program will also continue to offer on-campus simulations and practice sessions for students at the upper school.
Lower and middle school results provided by Theresa “Smitty” Smith.
Boys Soccer
Picking up its fifth win in six games, the boys soccer team defeated Eastside Prep 2-1 the week before last with goals from Jared Anderson, grade 9, and Rohit Shah, grade 10. However, King’s Academy got the best of the Eagles later in the week, defeating Harker 4-1.
Girls soccer
The girls soccer team fell to King’s Academy and Notre Dame San Jose in Late January.
Boys Basketball
The boys basketball team went 1-1 to bring its season record to 10-6. In a tight 59-55 loss to Priory, Rohan Desikan, grade 12, had a team high 20 points with Elijah Edgehill, grade 12, adding 16 points and 11 rebounds. The team rebounded with a 67-32 win over Crystal Springs Uplands later in the week. Roy Yuan, grade 9, led all scorers with 20 points.
Girls Basketball
Continuing her amazing scoring streak, Jordan Thompson, grade 11, had 29 points to lead the Eagles over Immaculate Conception 76-56 last Wednesday. Thompson’s performance made her Harker’s all-time leading scorer. The previous record was held by Daniza Rodriguez ’13, who is currently playing at Whittier College. However, the girls team suffered a rare loss later in the week as it fell to Woodside Priory 76-66. Thompson again had 29 points with Akhila Ramgiri, grade 9, adding a season high 20 points, as the Eagles went to 14-4 on the season. The girls team will host first place Mercy SF tonight at Blackford at 6:30 p.m.
The Harker wrestling team fell to Santa Clara High last Wednesday 60-36.
MS Basketball
Michael Mitchell Jr., grade 7, will be attending West Coast Elite Basketball’s Jr. All-American Camp Feb. 6-7 in Cerritos. The camp attracts some of the top middle school players in the country. Mitchell was recently named the MVP of Harker’s VB boys basketball team. Good luck, Michael!
The early winter sports season for grades 4-8 has concluded. Nearly 220 students participated across the lower and middle school levels in boys basketball and girls soccer!
Our Varsity B and JVB1 boys basketball teams both won league championships and were also tournament champs!
Here is how our teams did this early winter season.
VB (Grades 7-8) Boys Basketball: The varsity B team, coached by Josh Miller and Rich Amarillas, finished in first place in the WBAL with a 7-0 record and went 9-0 overall. They were league champs of the south division and tournament champs! Team awards went to Michael Mitchell, grade 7 (MVP), Vance Vu, grade 8 (Eagle) and Vedanth Sundaram, grade 8 (Coaches).
VB2 (Grade 7) Boys Basketball: The varsity B2 team, coached by Jon Cvitanich, finished in sixth place in the WBAL with a 3-4 record. Team awards went to Levi Sutton (MVP), Marcus Anderson (Eagle) and Anmol Velagapudi (Coaches).
JVA (Grade 6) Boys Basketball: The junior varsity A team, coached by Mike Delfino, finished in fourth place in the WBAL with a 3-3 record and went 3-4 overall. Team awards went to Rishi Jain (MVP), Anquan Boldin Jr. (Eagle) and Alex Zhang (Coaches).
JVB6 (Grade 6) Boys Basketball: The junior varsity B6 team, coached by Matt Arensberg, finished in fifth place in the WBAL with a 3-4 record. Team awards went to Marcus Page (MVP), Josh Tseitlin (Eagle) and Jack Hayashi (Coaches).
MS Intramural Boys Basketball: Team awards went to Tuhin Chatterjee, grade 7 (MVP), Alex Shing, grade 8 (Eagle) and Harrison Chang, grade 6, and Akshay Manglik, grade 7 (Coaches). The team was coached by CJ Cali, Jeff Martarano and Raul Rios.
JVB1 (Grade 5) Boys Basketball: The junior varsity B1 team, coached by Dan Pringle and Karriem Stinson, finished in first place in the WBAL with a 7-0 record and went 9-0 overall. They were league champs and tournament champs! Team awards went to Matthew Chen (MVP), Zeke Weng (Eagle), and Michael Pflaging and Armaan Thakker (Coaches).
JVB2 (Grade 5) Boys Basketball: The junior varsity B2 team, coached by Kristian Tiopo, finished in fourth place in the WBAL with a 4-3 record. Team awards went to Boulus Ajlouny (MVP), Max Pflaging (Eagle) and Pranav Mullappalli (Coaches).
JVC (Grade 4) Boys Basketball: The junior varsity C team, coached by Jim McGovern, finished in fourth place in the WBAL with a 4-3 record. Team awards went to Om Tandon (MVP), Rohin Bhagat (Eagle) and Spencer Mak (Coaches).
LS Intramural Boys Basketball: Team awards went to Panav Gogte, grade 4 (MVP), Jack Ledford and Kyle Leung, both grade 4 (Eagle) and Vivek Nayyar, grade 4 (Coaches). The team was coached by Ken Allen and Jeff Paull.
VA (Grades 7-8) Girls Soccer: The varsity A team, coached by Brighid Wood, Brittney Moseley and Kelcie Lai, finished in seventh place in the WBAL with a record of 2-5-0. Team awards went to Aria Wong and Hannah Grannis, both grade 7, (MVP), and Dylan Williams, grade 7, and Delaney Logue, grade 8 (Coaches).
JVA (Grade 6) Girls Soccer: The junior varsity A team, coached by Cyrus Merrill and Mandy Schroeder, finished in fifth place in the WBAL with a record of 2-3-1. Team awards went to Ashley Barth (MVP), Angela Jia (Eagle) and Diana Kohr (Coaches).
JVB (Grade 5) Girls Soccer: The junior varsity B team, coached by Lisa Lubke and Jared Ramsey, finished in second place in the WBAL with a record of 2-1-1 and went 2-3-1 overall. Team awards went to Anya Chauhan (MVP), Anika Muddu (Eagle) and Jia Parikh (Coaches).
LS Intramural Girls Soccer: Team awards went to Ananya Sriram, grade 4 (Eagle) and Kinnera Mulam, grade 4 (Coaches). The team was coached by Randy Le Gris and Maria Maldonado.