Already in the 2013-14 school year, Harker records are being shattered. For the second straight week, Harker’s girls golf team posted the top score in Harker history. Over at cross country, a freshman runner set a new school record by 50 full seconds. Varsity football stomped Livermore Valley in a blowout, while varsity tennis came away from the Los Altos Tournament with a silver division championship and all three water polo teams swept Cupertino. These are the scores and updates for Harker athletics from a busy second week of October:
Golf:
GIRLS GOLF CONTINUES TO ROLL
Two weeks ago, the girls golf team shot a school record in a 199-211 loss to Sacred Heart Prep at Los Lagos. This past week, they did one better, shooting a 210 to set a new record and defeat Notre Dame San Jose by the score of 210-255.
In the match, senior Kristine Lin earned her eighth straight medalist honors, shooting a 2 over par 36. On the fourth hole of the game, a 236-yard par 4, Lin drove the green and then two-putted for a birdie.
In driving the team to its best overall score in history, a number of Harker athletes also reached personal bests. Daphne Liang, grade 10, tied her career best with a 5 over par 39, while fellow sophomore Ashley Zhong did the same with a 7 over par 41. Connie Li, a senior also tied her personal best, shooting a 12 over par 46.
The girls’ work is winning high praises from their leadership. “This is by far the most hard-working and most improved team I have ever coached,” writes coach Ie-Chen Cheng. “Literally, each team member shot her personal best scores in the past weeks.”
The Eagles travel next to face Menlo today and then return home to host Castilleja on Tuesday at Los Lagos. Tuesday will be their senior night. The celebration will cap off a stellar season of record-setting results and personal growth. “The time they put in over the summer and in the past couple of months [is] paying great dividends,” notes Cheng. “We are so proud of what we have accomplished so far.”
After their new victories over Mercy-Burlingame and Notre Dame, the girls are now in sole possession of third place in the league with a 5-3 record. Come support the team on their senior day this Tuesday at Los Lagos Golf Course!
HARKER ALUM PLAYS FOR STANFORD
Maverick McNealy ’13 has made the traveling squad at Stanford golf. With the team, “Mav” traveled to play a tournament at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, the site of the 2017 U.S. Open, and came in 25th place as Stanford secured a victory. All told, Stanford shot a 13 under 851, defeating runner-up UCLA by eight strokes and besting third-place SMU and Oklahoma by a dozen. Fourteen teams in total competed in the tournament. McNealy shot a 72 in the first round, a 75 in the second, and a 73 in the third. His first-round 72 went for par. Stanford plays again on Oct. 18-20, this time at the Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, Ga.
Cross Country:
“TRULY ELITE LEVEL”
Niki Iyer is a freshman. She just won the varsity girls individual race title at the Crystal Springs Invitational this past Saturday.
“This is truly elite level,” wrote Dan Molin, Harker’s athletic director in an email announcing Iyer’s accomplishment to the school.
Iyer never trailed in the race, leaping out ahead of the pack and leading wire-to-wire. Her time set a new school record by 50 full seconds. That time was the fifth fastest of all CCS runners this year, and the 10-best ever for a freshman in the course’s 70 years of existence.
Junior Corey Gonzales had a great week as well, running in the championship varsity boys race and placing eighth against the top runners in all of California.
Both Gonzales and Iyer will run this Thursday at the Baylands Park cross country course. They will be looking for their second win in a row over WBAL league runners.
Football:
TRIPLE THREAT LEADS HARKER TO BLOWOUT WIN
Senior Kevin Moss led the Eagles on offense, defense and special teams in a blowout 58-16 victory against the Livermore Valley Preparatory Hawks. Moss ran for two touchdowns on offense, returned an interception for a touchdown, led the team with three solo sacks, and ran a kickoff back for his fourth touchdown of the game. Quarterback Keanu Forbes, grade 11, had a huge game as well, throwing two touchdown passes to wide receiver Sid Krishnamurthi, grade 11, and one to sophomore running back Jonathan Keller. Forbes ran for a touchdown as well on a 36-yard sprint in the fourth quarter. All told, Harker recorded 387 yards of total offense on 42 plays from scrimmage while a stingy and ferocious defense held the opposing Hawks to just 180 yards on 39 plays. While both teams were able to move the ball, Harker’s defense had Livermore Valley moving in both directions, sending them backwards on eight – count ‘em, eight – timely quarterback sacks. Harker kicker Alyssa Amick, grade 11, added six extra points after touchdowns. The junior varsity squad has the next game on the schedule, taking on Lynbrook this Friday.
Volleyball:
VARSITY CAPS BUSY WEEK WITH TOURNAMENT WIN
The varsity girls volleyball team had a busy week, defeating Woodside Priory in straight sets, losing to number 2-ranked Menlo, and then going 3-1 at the Los Altos Tournament to earn the silver division championship. Varsity’s record now stands at 9-6 overall and an even 2-2 in league going into tonight’s home matchup against Presentation. The junior varsity team, meanwhile, owns an exceptional 16-5 record and, after victories against Priory and Menlo this week, is looking strong in league play.
Water Polo:
THREE TEAMS SCORE VICTORIES AGAINST CUPERTINO
Three of Harker’s water polo teams faced off against Cupertino last Tuesday, and all three came away with big victories. The boys varsity team won 12-5. The boys junior varsity team won 8-4. And, the girls varsity team won 9-5. This Tuesday, the teams play again, with the boys hosting Saratoga and the girls hosting Mountain View. On Thursday, both teams will host Fremont at the Singh Aquatic Center.
Tennis:
AFTER 1-1 WEEK, GIRLS TENNIS STANDS AT 6-3 OVERALL
The girls tennis team crushed Crystal Springs by a margin of 6-1 last Tuesday, then lost a heartbreaking game to Castilleja, dropping their record to a still-sterling 6-3 overall. The girls will attempt to rebound against Notre Dame and Sacred Heart this week.
Coming Up This Week:
This Monday, the girls golf team heads to the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course to face off against the Menlo School in a league match, beginning at 3 p.m. Over at Blackford, the junior varsity girls volleyball team will take on Presentation High School at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity girls’ game against Presentation at 5:45 p.m.
On Tuesday, the varsity girls tennis team will head to the Decathlon Club in Santa Clara for a league home game against Notre Dame High School – San Jose. At Los Lagos Golf Course in San Jose, the girls golf team will play a “home” game of their own against Castilleja. The freshman girls volleyball team will take on Milpitas High School at Harker’s Saratoga campus at 4:15 p.m. Just 15 minutes later on that same campus, the varsity boys water polo team will face off against Saratoga High School in a league game. The JV boys water polo team will follow them at 5:45 p.m. with a game of their own against Saratoga. Out in Mountain View, the varsity girls water polo team plays Mountain View High School at 6:45 p.m.
All of Harker’s athletic teams are off on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, varsity cross country travels to Baylands Park in Sunnyvale for a WBAL league meet, beginning at 3 p.m. At 3:30 p.m, the varsity girls tennis team starts a match at Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Atherton. Back on Harker’s Saratoga campus, the varsity girls water polo team plays Fremont High School at 4:30 p.m. The junior varsity boys water polo team will follow that up with a game of their own against Fremont High School at 5:45 p.m, to be followed by the varsity boys water polo team’s night game at 6:45 p.m. Up in San Francisco, the junior varsity girls volleyball team will take on Mercy High School at 4:30 p.m, followed by the varsity girls volleyball game at 5:45 p.m.
Friday sees just one Harker athletic event: The junior varsity football team takes on Lynbrook High School in an away game at 5 p.m.