Middle school cross country runners have posted some impressive results, reports coach Scott Graham. In the first meet of the year, held at Hyde Middle School, Alexandra Dellar, Gr. 6, placed fourth. Gr. 7 girls Alyssa Amick and Gabi Gupta took fourth and eighth, respectively. Claudia Tischler, Gr. 8, was tenth for the girls and Nicholas Navarro, Gr. 8, placed fifth for the boys.
The team continued to show strength in all grades at the Rolling Hills meet, where Dellar placed third and Calvin Kocienda, Gr. 6, took fourth. Amick came in fourth, and Corey Gonzalez, Gr. 7, was seventh. For the eighth graders, Tischler was first for the girls and Navarro took seventh place for the boys. There are just three more regular season meets to go, so come out and cheer on the team! The next meet is Thurs., Sept. 24, at JD Morgan Park in nearby Campbell.
[Update] George Washington University freshman Candace Silva-Martin ’09 has been named Atlantic 10 ConferenceDefensive Player of the Week, marking the second straight A-10 weekly award for Silva-Martin who garnered co-Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week honors Sept. 14 (see below). Silva-Martin earned the new honor after she totalled 65 digs for the week; averaging 5.91 digs per set including a match-high 35 digs in GW’s 3-2 victory over host Towson to capture the Towson Invitational title Saturday. She leads the A-10 in digs with 250 for a 5.43 digs-per-set average. Silva-Martin’s stats for the week: three matches, 11 sets, 65 digs (5.91 digs per set), two kills in two attempts for a 1.000 hitting percentage, three assists and four service aces for six points.
Sept. 14, 2009 Candace Silva-Martin ’09, a member of the Harker championship volleyball team of 2007, now a freshman at George Washington University, was named both Atlantic 10 Rookie and Co-Defensive Player of the Week by the league.
Silva-Martin, the team’s only listed libero, earned the honors after amassing 78 digs helping lead GW to a 2-1 record in the Villanova Classic, where she faced her former teammate, Kristina Bither ’09, on the Villanova team – Villanova won the GW-Villanova match at that event.
Silva-Martin has been named to consecutive all-tournament teams in each of the last two weeks following the Diet Coke Classic at the University of Minnesota on Sept. 4-5, and following last weekend’s Villanova Classic.
In the Colonials’ 3-2 victory over Princeton at Villanova, Silva-Martin recorded her career-high 34 digs – she has double-figure digs in all nine matches of 2009. Her stats for the week: three matches, 13 sets, 78 digs (6 digs per set), five assists and three service aces for three points.
Cheered on by family, friends and fellow students, the Harker varsity football team started off the season with a 21-7 win against the San Jose High Academy Bulldogs at San Jose on Sept. 11. Bogdan Botcharov, Gr. 12, scored on runs from the 21-yard and 5-yard lines in the first quarter to take an early 14-0 lead. San Jose scored the Bulldogs’ lone touchdown before the end of the first half but Rishi Bhatia, Gr. 11, kept the Bulldogs deep in their own territory with pinpoint kickoffs until the third quarter. Bhatia then booted a 50-yard punt that came to rest on the San Jose 10-yard line. Two plays later, Cole Davis, Gr. 12, scooped up a fumble from his linebacker position and returned it for the game’s final score. Davis was Harker’s standout on defense with 18 tackles. Jose Costa, Gr. 12, kicked three extra points for the Eagles. The Harker squad is preparing for their next game on Fri., Sept. 18, at Yerba Buena in San Jose. For the schedule of varsity football games, see http://www.harker.org/page.cfm?p=250
Prior to the varsity game, the JV team lost a hard-fought contest against San Jose High Academy 12-6. JV coach Geoff Lundie is very optimistic about next week’s away game against Yerba Buena.
Two 2009 alumnae, former championship teammates, face off on Sept. 12 when George Washington University’s women’s volleyball team travels to Villanova University. Candace Silva-Martin and Kristina Bither play for George Washington and Villanova, respectively. Both were on Harker’s 2007 NORCAL Division IV Championship volleyball team in their junior season and each has a number of awards and honors for her play at Harker. Bither is listed as an outside hitter and Silva-Martin as a libero (defensive specialist).
Brad Bower of the GW athletics department said, “It is definite that Candace will play, and probably start, the September 12 GW-Villanova match. She has started and played all 12 sets of our first three matches and our coach, Jojit Coronel, has raved about her performances. According to a Web report on her first game, “Silva-Martin’s defensive prowess was evidenced by her match-high 29 digs,” and Coach Coronel said, “Candace was a stud.”
“It is exciting to be playing with Kristina, though not on the same team, but across the net,” said Silva-Martin. “I’m really excited in general because we’re both really good athletes. It is really neat to be playing at the college level and I think we both deserve it.”
Bither has played in nine of 15 sets this season and will play in the Sept. 12 match up. “Kristina is one of the most athletic players in our program,” said coach Josh Steinbach. “She will have an increasingly significant role on our team as the season moves along. She has a drive and is one of the most competitive players we have.”
“It’s really exciting to play with such great players,” said Bither. “Everything is so much faster and so much more intense which is really fun for me! I’m really excited to play against Candace because we’ve always been extremely competitive with each other and I know this time won’t be any different. She’s one of my best friends so it will be nice to just see her also. Our teams are both doing really well so it should be a great game!”
The match can be viewed through a paid broadcast via Villanova’s all-access feature; see http://www.Villanova.com for details.
This summer, Harker Summer Tennis Camp (HSTC) participants had the opportunity to learn tennis through a new program. Craig Pasqua, tennis program director, introduced beginning players to the Quick Start Tennis Format, a nationally-sanctioned teaching method approved by the USTA, USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) and PTR (Professional Tennis Registry). This method utilizes diminished court and racquet sizes and uses foam training balls (as well as regular tennis balls). Open to boys and girls ages 7-14 entering Gr. 2-8 in the fall of 2009, HSTC is designed for campers with an interest in improving their tennis knowledge and skill base. For the third year in a row, HSTC participants also attended the USTA Kids Town Hall Forum at the Bank of the West Tennis Classic, a WTA professional tournament.
For older and/or more experienced players ages 6-18, the HOTTS (Harker Oakwood Tennis Training System) program offered competitive tennis players the opportunity to participate in a program that combined regular team practice with weekly interclub matches. Players under age 19 who desired to compete against local tennis clubs and develop tactical skills learned advanced technical strokes, footwork and sports psychology. The program included on-court instruction, technique and strategy practice, and stroke practice with both an instructor and ball machine.
Over 100 students participated in the summer tennis program this year, including some players who have come for all six of the years that Pasqua has been running the program.
ArmanGupta ’07, became the first Harker football player to start in the Charley Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game, also known as the Silicon Valley Youth Classic, this past July. Gupta started at free safety and, according to proud former coach Karriem Stinson, “played more than any other defensive back in the game.” Gupta, who played both quarterback and defensive back on the varsity team all four of his years at Harker, co-earned the male Athlete of the Year award for 2009. Three other Harker players have been on past All-Star teams, which is an opportunity for recently graduated seniors, chosen by Santa Clara County coaches, to play their final high school game.
The Blackford gym filled with students, parents and coaches from Gr. 6-12 on Aug. 26 to meet, mingle and obtain information on sports programs and each other. Although fall practices are already under way for upper school athletes and middle school students will soon begin practices, all Harker athletes from Gr. 6-12 had an opportunity to meet their coaches, regardless of season. Gr. 6 boys Zachary Clausen, Nathaniel Stearns, Connor Powers and Spencer Powers were all excited for soccer to start, and were particularly looking forward to “beating St. Joseph’s again!” Explaining their passion, Stearns said, “Last year, we tied them 3-3 and beat them once.” This year, in addition to soccer, Clausen will play flag football and “maybe basketball.” Stearns will also play flag football, basketball and possibly baseball. Both Powers boys also plan on playing tennis.
Athletes Shireen Moshkelani and Ava Rezvani, both Gr. 11, put their names on the soccer sign-up sheet “with an asterisk saying we’re going to play when we’re seniors.” Anticipating a busy junior year, both volleyball players say they are “being good Harker students and planning our futures.” Priya Sadhev, also Gr. 11, plans on playing both soccer and varsity water polo this year, sports she has played for the past two years. She is thinking about playing water polo in college.
“I really like the dynamics of the sport, how you can foul people really hard under water,” Sadhev explained. In soccer, the closeness of the team is a plus. “I just like the team, how we all just really try hard together.”
Amy Rorabaugh, Gr. 12, is also an enthusiastic soccer player who will play both soccer and volleyball this year, as she has the past three years. She says the volleyball team is looking good this year, and “I think it’s going to be a fun season!”
After meeting coaches and catching up with each other, students and parents then met with the appropriate athletic director. Theresa Smith, Gr. 4-8 athletic director, and Dan Molin, US athletic director, each met with the athletes and parents from their divisions and presented an overview of the yearly sports offerings as well as other information regarding sports participation and safety issues. Following their presentations, there was a short college recruiting presentation by Rick Wire, a nationally-known speaker from Dynamite Sports. Let the seasons begin!
Three Harker students were honored for their fine volleyball season this past year. Chad Gordon, a rising senior, was named to the All-Mercury Second Team as outside hitter, while alumnus Matthew Gehm ’09, middle blocker and Eugene Huang, also a rising senior, setter, received honorable mentions. In addition, for his leadership and inspiration, boys volleyball coach and athletic director Dan Molin was named Santa Clara Valley Athletic League Co-Coach of the Year.
Harker is represented on both baseball and softball teams in the All-Mercury lineups announced in late June. Shelby Drabman ’09 made the Mercury News Honorable Mention squad and first team all-league for softball. In baseball, Barrett Glasauer ’09 also made Honorable Mention for the Mercury News as well as being named league player of the year. Congrats to both! Read more about softball and baseball honorable mentions.
Tennis in the MS has grown in confidence and stature, overcoming opponent after opponent on their way to winning two league championships – the WBAL (West Bay Athletic League) and the MTP (Mid-Peninsula Tennis Patrons). Building a winning team has been a challenging task for head coach KV Ganesh and assistant coach Cyrus Castillo, but one that they have taken on every bit of the way.
“Middle school tennis is about a sport where a lot of individual talent exists and the focus is to get these individuals to play in a team environment,” says Ganesh. Tryouts spanned several days. “This year we had 72 middle school boys and girls tryout for the 25 spots in the team,” says Ganesh, “and the team has 18 players who have a USTA ranking, the most we have seen all these years.” This year’s team was Niharika Bedekar, Pranav Bheda, Neel Bhoopalam, Josh Bollar, Jenny Chen, Simar Mangat, Nikhil Panu, Piyush Prasad, Chau Nguyen, Indica Sur, Justin Yang, all Gr. 8; Vikas Bhetanabhotla, Katia Mironova, Avinash Nayak, Sahithya Prakash, Ariana Shulma, all Gr. 7; and Neel Bedekar, Vikram Chari, Deepa Dhore, John Dobrota, Srivinay Irrinki, Ethan Ma, Ryan Palmer, Sriram Somasundaram, Vedant Thyagaraj, all Gr. 6.
Although the season started with a narrow defeat, Harker quickly settled down into a rhythm and remained undefeated for the rest of the regular season in both leagues. Having qualified to play in the Silver Division for the WBAL, the Eagles went on to claim the WBAL championships with two more victories in that league.
In the 20-year history of the MTP League, Harker’s best achievement has been as a “runner-up” in 2007. This time around the Eagles were more determined than ever to have their name on that championship trophy. They advanced through each round in the face of ever-growing competition. On May 26 they posted a convincing 7-2 victory over Bret Harte, whom they had lost to in the finals just a couple of years ago. The mood in the Eagles camp was ecstatic – they enjoyed every bit of ending the season on this high note!
The coaches had little difficulty in naming Chen as the Most Valuable Player. Having been a part of the singles quartet for all three years, she was there against every one of Harker’s opponents this season. Chari was undefeated this season and walked away with the Eagles Award. Nayak received the Coaches’ Award for his inspirational display of team spirit on and off court. He helped keep the team together through tough times.
Coach Ganesh extended his thanks to Harker’s administration and support staff for providing the facilities and transportation to the team. He hastened to add, “I particularly want to thank all the parents of the team for the support they provided and the sacrifices they made to help our team with their achievements during this season of two championships!”