Harker students and alumni had the unique opportunity to see one of their own compete in the summer Olympics in Beijing, as MS alumna Andrea Nott ’96 represented the U.S. in the synchronized swimming event. Nott, whose team finished fifth overall in Beijing, discovered her love for the sport at the age of nine, and has been named a U.S. Synchronized Swimming All-American for seven years — since 1999. She was selected as an alternate for the Athens games in 2004.
Surprisingly, Nott said she didn’t feel much pressure despite making her first Olympic appearance. “We did a lot of mental preparation, including detailed visualizations and simulations,” she said. “So, when we were waiting to go out to perform I actually felt surprisingly calm.” She also said that her main goal was to put on the best performance of her career. “I wanted to peak and amaze people at the Olympics,” said Nott. “I think our team did that.”
Nott is the daughter of Debra Nott, Harker’s director of nursing and, following a decompression period, Andrea resurfaced in October to join her mom, who went to Beijing with her, at the Harker Family Picnic. The swimmer noted one of the most remarkable experiences of the games was watching the opening ceremonies.
“A lot of Olympians had told me beforehand that it was their favorite part of the Olympics, but I couldn’t quite grasp how amazing it would be to see them light the torch until I saw it,” she recalled. But above all, it was the opportunity to participate in the games that made the biggest impression. “I had been looking forward to the Olympics for so long that I really didn’t want to realize after closing ceremonies that I had let it all go by too fast,” said Nott. “I knew beforehand that I would be retiring from synchronized swimming after the games, so when I watched the torch light in opening ceremonies, I knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion.”
For those aspiring to reach the stars, Nott says the key ingredient is determination. “Natural talent is a great gift, but it can only take you so far,” she says. “Hard work and tenacity are what will get you there in the end, and the reward will feel even greater.
Harker grad Veronica Pugin ’08 recently received a Northern California Regional Hispanic Heritage Youth Award for the Sports category. Pugin was given a Gold Medallion award, the top honor in her category, which included a $3,000 educational grant. The Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards were created by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to recognize students of Hispanic descent who serve as role models in their schools and communities. Pugin received the award based on her application, academic achievements and a letter of recommendation from soccer coach Troy Thiele, who also serves as an Upper School math teacher.
The Harker Varsity boys volleyball team recently received the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the 2007-2008 season. Since the 1992-1993 academic year, the award has been given to collegiate and high school volleyball teams that have maintained a team-cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale or at least 4.10 on a 5.0 scale. Harker was one of only 13 high school boys volleyball teams to win this honor. Of the approximately 3,000 schools represented in the AVCA, 353 schools, just under 12%, qualified for the award.
Brian McEuen ‘ 08 has been named to the 2007-08 American Volleyball Coaches Association Boy’s High School Senior All-America Team. McEuen is the first player from Harker to be so named. He has been an instrumental player in the boys program for the last four years, making this a great culminating event for high school. McEuen plans to attend UCSD in the fall.
Senior volleyball player Tanya Schmidt made Harker history in November as the first Harker student ever to sign a national letter of intent. Schmidt will attend Santa Clara University. We are fortunate to be able to continue to watch the outstanding middle blocker over the next four years as she plays for the Division 1 Broncos on a full athletic scholarship. Schmidt plans to enter the College of Arts and Sciences. Long-time Harker student Schmidt commented, “It’s a bonus that I will be close to home, so I will still be able to support Harker’s athletics and keep in touch with the community.”
With the crisp feeling of fall in the air, approximately 800 parents, students, faculty and staff attended The Harker School’s September 14 dedication ceremony of the new Davis Field on the Upper School campus Saratoga campus.
After a special donor reception on the sidelines, Head of School Chris Nikoloff hosted the evening’s ceremonies, which included the presentation of a $1.5 million donation from development council members John and Christine Davis. “We could not be prouder,” Davis stated. “The parents and student body wanted this field, and Harker made it happen.” Immediately after the ceremony, players from the girls’ soccer and lacrosse teams, boys’ soccer team and the football team broke through paper banners onto the field through tunnels formed by donors. The players met in the center of the field and formed a spontaneous cheering circle in the center. Following the color guard and the national anthem, a memorial recognizing Coach Deron Thorp, a Harker football coach who died suddenly at the age of 33 last fall was unveiled to Thorp’s family. Thorp’s positive impact left an indelible mark on Harker’s football team, and – beginning with this home game on the new Davis Field – the players have begun a new tradition of each player touching the football on the memorial before each home game as a gesture to remember Coach Thorp and the principles that he instilled in the players.
Mercury News Columnist Lisa Chung writes about a special dedication to beloved coach, Deron Thorp >>
Harker’s varsity girls volleyball team is the 2007 Nor Cal Division IV champ!
The team took the title in four games in Sacramento Tuesday evening against Christian Brothers High School. Harker won the first pair 25-13, 25-18, lost the third game 19-25 and slammed back to cap the match 25-19. Harker math teacher Stephanie Woolsey attended the game – along with close to 300 other loyal faculty, staff, students and parents who made the trek – and called in to report: “We were hot, they were not! We had a great crowd here, incredible, with two bus loads of students and many who drove up on their own. It was crazy!”
Since the inception of Harker’s Upper School – launched in 1998 – this is the first Harker team in its history to be named NorCal champions.
Next stop is San Jose State University for the State Championship against the Division IV SoCal champs, Santa Fe Christian, this Saturday, Dec 1. Game time should be around noon. Check back for more details, but plan to come out and cheer the team on to the championship