Journal Spring 2018: Champions of Balance

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CHAMPIONS OF BALANCE The UHS Athletic Complex at Paul Goode Field has been in use for almost one year, so we thought we’d take a moment to meet a few student athletes who embody our school values in all arenas. These students are passionate about sports and make the time to participate in other aspects of student life as well.

Sarah Li ‘18

Volleyball, Badminton For Sarah Li, balance is the name of the game.

Between serving as captain for both the volleyball and badminton teams, acting in the winter play, and maintaining academics and family life, juggling activities has grown beyond a talent into a lifestyle. By taking each moment one step at a time, Sarah remains focused and dedicated to each individual activity. “Once you’re on the court it doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life, it’s all

MISSION OF UHS ATHLETICS:

about the game.”

Most importantly to Sarah, she relies on the support of her teammates and her community for help. After all, “the game depends on the success of the team, not just the individual.”

— Nathalie Chicoine ’19

Nico Petry-Mitchel ‘18 Soccer

If you look out at Paul Goode Field on any given soccer practice or game day, you can see team captain Nico Petry-Mitchel flawlessly executing a Maradona spin (used to escape a tackle from a defender). In the offseason, Nico is the captain of the SF Elite Academy club soccer team, where playing with kids from all different schools has helped him develop his leadership skills.

The star fubolista is also the President of Latinx United Club and Vice-President of Diversity on campus.

According to Nico, his UHS education has taught him to see multiple sides of any one story, which explains his interest in journalism as

a career. Nico credits the effective study skills that UHS has pushed him to develop with making it possible to participate in so many activities.

— Sarah Camacho ’19

Elliott Weil ‘19 Cross Country; Track and Field

Elliott Weil started cross country as a freshman with no prior running experience and was recently elected team captain for the 2018-2019 school year by his fellow runners. He is part of an elite group of seven top University runners that compete in postseason meets and helped our boys team claim first place at the D5 state championship this year.

Elliott is not just a leader

The interscholastic athletic program seeks to help student-athletes grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially through the challenges of athletic discipline, team participation, and interscholastic competition.

The mission is educational and designed to enrich and complement the UHS academic experience.

SFUHS.ORG

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on his cross-country team; he is also a Peer Advisor to freshmen and writes for the Devil’s Advocate. He is the drummer for the UHS Jazz Ensemble which competes against other jazz bands in the city, and he even started his own band with an EP scheduled to be released this spring.

— Micherice Tao ’19

Kavita Parekh ‘18 Field Hockey

Kavita has been a starting field hockey defender since sophomore year and a proud member of the team that went undefeated in league last fall. At the beginning of last fall, she was one of two

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students invited to speak at the grand opening ceremony of the UHS Athletic Complex at Paul Goode Field. In addition to being a stellar athlete, she is a Peer Advisor, a president of SWEAR (Students for Women’s Equality and Rights), and a senior class representative on Athletic Council. For Kavita, the supportive, tight-knit team dynamic has played a large part in making her UHS experience so amazing. Her advice to incoming freshmen thinking about trying out for field hockey is to play hard and have fun: “You’ll have a fun season and meet lots of new people either way, so just enjoy yourself!”

— Julian Manyika ’18

Julian Manyika ‘18 Basketball

Senior basketball captain Julian Manyika has been a dedicated student athlete since his freshman year at UHS. His strength on the court is shooting threes, but perhaps his biggest contribution is his leadership and dedication; he strives to make every player better.

He does this by constantly communicating with every person on the team, giving them advice and working to ensure the entire team plays together smoothly. Julian is an Admissions Ambassador, selected by the Admissions team

to tell prospective families about UHS, and was a Vice President of Academics during his junior year. He plays club basketball for the Bay Area Warriors and volunteers at 826 Valencia, sharing his interest in math.

Along with the amazing UHS coaches who developed his skills as a player, Julian especially values the friendships he has made and the teamwork involved in being part of the UHS basketball program.

— Maddie House ’18

Gracie Feinberg ‘19 Lacrosse, Basketball, Track and Field

Gracie has worn many jerseys in her UHS sports career: lacrosse, basketball, and track as a discus thrower and high jumper. For Gracie, spending Thanksgiving, Holiday, and February breaks practicing and playing in tournaments means, “Your team becomes a family,” including track where athletes compete as individuals and cheer for teammates’ events.

On the court, Gracie can be seen doing her signature move: her drop step and jump hook. In addition to having the strong timemanagement skills required of every devoted athlete, Gracie emphasizes sleep, “a lot of sleep,” as a must.

On campus, Gracie is a Peer Advisor, a member of the debate club, and is helping organize a breast cancer fundraiser this spring.

— Emily Ehsan ’18