Noah Fong
“It’s a great opportunity to push myself to grow as a player, a leader, and a person.”
Noah Fong is a Berkeley High School senior and team captain of the varsity mens ultimate frisbee squad. Fong’s ultimate journey began in elementary school when her friend introduced her to the sport. She later joined a winter team, and has been playing ever since. As a captain and leader, ultimate frisbee has taught Fong valuable leadership and goal setting skills that extend beyond the field. Fong also cherishes the tight knit sense of community the sport fosters, which has allowed her to form long lasting friendships and compete at a high level. “I think that it’s a relatively smaller sport ... I know everyone, like every high schooler that plays in the bay,” Fong said, “It’s a great opportunity to push myself to grow as a player, a leader, and a person.” In the sport, Fong acknowledges that while there isn’t a distinct community of Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) athletes, she doesn’t feel out of place. “I would say Asian is the second most common identity behind white in the sport ... I don’t know if I would call it a community, but I certainly don’t feel othered in the frisbee scene,” Fong said. Today, Fong is looking to continue her frisbee career after BHS and is excited to play for the University of Colorado, Boulder’s talented ultimate program.
Henry Robinson
“When I come across other Asian athletes I feel a bit of a bond,”
At a young age, shooting the ball around with his dad at his local YMCA, BHS sophomore and basketball shooting guard Henry Robinson developed his love for the game of basketball. Today, Robinson views the game as more than just a sport, but also as a way for him to build different life skills. Robinson believes that balancing the busy schedule that comes with being a student athlete will prepare him for moments later in his life when he will also need to manage several different responsibilities. Playing on the varsity basketball team as a sophomore was a major milestone for Robinson and fueled him to continue to improve and strive for new goals. “I think that when I made the varsity team, it really motivated me. I felt like that was a milestone that paid off and realized that (basketball) is really what I love doing,” Robinson said. On and off the court Robinson takes pride in his Vietnamese and Chinese heritage, feeling a strong connection with the growing community of Asian athletes in sports. “When I come across other Asian athletes I feel a bit of a bond,” Robinson said, “I think it’s more of an unspoken kind of community. You respect each other a lot and it’s great to keep seeing Asian kids thrive in the athletic community.”
Akanni Owodunni
“(My family has) really pushed me, motivated me to be my best, whatever I do.”
Akanni Owodunni is a BHS junior who plays catcher and first baseman for the boys varsity baseball team. Owodunni’s love for the sport began when he was just three years old, watching the Oakland Athletics and playing catch with his dad in the park. Now, Owodunni is committed to the University of San Diego, where he is looking forward to continuing his baseball career at the Division I collegiate level. Throughout his baseball journey, Owodunni has been deeply grateful for his family’s support, crediting them for helping him become the player and person he is today. “They really pushed me, motivated me to be my best, whatever I do. So, I couldn’t ask for better parents and better people helping me out,” he said. Having Korean heritage, Owodunni enjoys watching Korean SF Giants star Jung Joo Le and continues to appreciate the growing representation of Koreans in baseball. “Korea is a huge place for baseball. I feel like Korean Americans and Koreans are becoming more prominent in the Major League Baseball, so it’s definitely great to see that,” Owodunni said. With the North Coast Section baseball playoffs fast approaching, Owodunni hopes to help lead BHS to a championship and bring home the title.
Miriam Allen
“Running has taught me that I’m capable of more than I think I am,”
For BHS senior Miriam Allen, a long distance runner on the track and cross country teams, running has taught her that she can surpass goals that once might have seemed out of reach. “Running has taught me that I’m capable of more than I think I am,” Allen said. She discovered her love for the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic when she began marking her runs down in a running log. She later joined BHS Track & Field and quickly fell in love with long distance running. It can be difficult to conjure motivation while running for painful long stretches of time, but Allen uses mantras and positive thoughts in her head to help her find strength in moments of discomfort. Allen, who is half Taiwanese, feels like there is a supportive community of AAPI track athletes at BHS and appreciates seeing other Asian athletes at the school. “I think especially at Berkeley High (School), it’s kind of cool to just see people who look like you. There’s definitely a lot of Wasian athletes, especially on our team, so it’s cool to see that,” Allen said. After taking a gap year, Allen plans to attend Scripps College, where she is excited to run for their Division III collegiate program.