Senior Noah Bowers pitches his next baseball at Thomas College
Baseball has always been a fundamental part of Bower’s life, not only as an extracurricular but also as a connection to his family — he learned the sport from his grandfather and father in his childhood. Bowers began playing club baseball in seventh grade.
“When I was younger, I played baseball mainly to hang out with my friends,” Bowers said. “But once I started playing club, I really enjoyed the grind, and it brought out my competitiveness.”
Bowers currently plays for the South Bay Silverbacks and Lynbrook’s varsity team. While his club is more laid-back, Bowers said varsity baseball can be stressful because of the time crunch and pressure to qualify for playoffs.
“Although my experiences with my teams contrast, I have a strong community of teammates in both because we bond through working hard together,” Bowers said.
As a pitcher, Bowers’s shoulder injury halfway through the 2024-25 season was a major setback. Unable to play for six months, Bowers felt discouraged, as junior year is usually a prime time for athletes to showcase their skills. Although it was challenging, Bowers used the time to reflect on how he could improve.
“Even when Noah has a rough game, he knows how to channel his emotions into motivation, and that helps with our team chemistry,” senior and varsity teammate Cameron Chao said.
Due to his injury, when Bowers began reaching out to colleges, he was unable to send them recent clips of him pitching. He received an email from Thomas in April expressing their interest in him. After updating them on his progress and flying out to the campus, he received a formal offer to play Division 3 baseball on June 13, 2025. Although Bowers considered other schools, Thomas drew his attention because of their unique three-plus-one program, where students receive a bachelor’s and master’s degree in only four years.
“I’m grateful that I have the chance to continue playing baseball in college,” Bowers said. “I really hope to take my playing to the next level.”
Senior Calia Lim scores a home run into Ithaca College
As Lim patiently corrects a student’s stubborn grip on the bat, she reflects on her own challenges through her softball journey. The sport has given Lim a community of friends, coaches and students.
Lim began playing softball recreationally at the age of five. However, higher expectations and a desire for more structure pushed her to join a travel team to participate in a competitive setting.
“I love how fast-paced the game is,” Lim said. “It’s something that I can easily immerse myself in.”
At age twelve, Lim faced her biggest softball setback when her coach made her a lefty slapper, a player who runs while hitting the ball into the left side of the field. Before this, Lim had been hitting exclusively from the right, and the shift required her to relearn her technique. While she initially felt dejected as younger players surpassed her, with the support of her coaches and teammates, she developed a drive to improve.
“Because so much of softball is mental, I learned to reset mentally and regain confidence,” Lim said. “This helped me grow not only as an athlete but also as a person.”
Lim currently plays on Lynbrook’s varsity team and in clubs, including the Titans Martin 18U Premier Team. For the past four years, she has also played on Team Philippines at the Triple Crown International Challenge, a competition where United States players represent their heritage countries.
“Calia has always put the team first, even on days she didn’t want to,” varsity softball coach Colleen Fleming said. “I have tried to take away some of that pressure by building the team up around her.”
Lim knew that she wanted to attend a Division 3 school in order to pursue her academic interests. Ithaca College wasn’t originally on Lim’s radar, but she was quickly drawn to its health science program, as she hopes to become a physical or occupational therapist in the future.
“Over the last few years, I’ve developed my patience, adaptability and communication skills,” Lim said. “Ithaca will be a big adjustment, but I’m excited for a change in scenery and a chance to hone my abilities with the team.”
Senior Ryan Liu kicks his way into Harvey Mudd College
Soccer began as one of many sports that Liu’s father encouraged him to try when Liu was five years old. Since then, Liu has found comfort in meeting new people and developed the single-minded determination needed to achieve his goals in the sport.
“As the captain of the Silicon Valley Soccer Academy team, I would say the hardest challenge is calming everyone’s nerves,” Liu said. “But learning how to talk to and support each player is valuable.”
In the national MLS Next Flex tournament in Liu’s sophomore year, he led his team to victory against Inter Miami’s Academy, one of the highest-ranking junior teams in the country, in the qualification match for playoffs. Although the opposing team scored the first goal, Silicon Valley secured the win with a score of 2-1.
“There’s moments when after the opponent scores, you get stunned or you lose morale, but for some reason, this feeling didn’t hit me in this game,” Liu said. “I think what contributed to us winning the most was our desire and teamwork. Whenever we play strong teams, our team is able to find another gear. We stay positive, motivating each other.”
Liu began emailing colleges as a sophomore, but Division 1 schools are not allowed to contact student athletes until their junior year.
“Even when I didn’t get responses, I knew that they were probably reading my emails, and the important thing was to stay consistent and continue reaching out,” Liu said.
The summer before junior year, Liu attended a soccer camp at Harvey Mudd, where he caught the attention of the coach. They remained in touch, and Liu met the team and looked into the school’s academics. The engineering program stuck out to him because of his interest in computer science, though he hopes to explore more courses next year before he decides his major.
“As a college freshman, it might be difficult to get playing time on the team, but I hope to bring my mentality of working hard and showcase my leadership skills,” Liu said.
