I know, I know. What’s a girl doing being a sports editor? Well, let me tell you a little something. There are many reasons why I think I can do it. When I saw UCSD’s snappy blue and gold uniforms, I just knew I had to be sports editor. For example, I love going to the beach, so I know I can cover crew and surfing. And after watching David Beckham run up and down the field during the 2002 World Cup, I was hooked on soccer too. I would also like to know if I can be an honorary member of the women’s tennis team, because I just have to get my hands on one of those adorable skirts they wear; or at least learn how to slide and look cool doing it, like the softball team does.

Oh, please. I’ve heard it all about why girls like sports. I’m not some hostess who serves fancy appetizers during the Super Bowl. I’m one of the hardcore fans, glued to the couch, yelling and cheering as soon as the players run out on the field. I watch ESPN, subscribe to Sports Illustrated and listen to sports radio. I grew up playing sports and had Troy Aikman, Pete Sampras, Keith Tkachuk and David Justice on my walls, while other girls had Leonardo DiCaprio on theirs. I was in a March Madness pool this year and guess who won?

Shows like “”Dawson’s Creek”” and “”The Bachelor”” don’t even hold a candle to “”Sportscenter,”” and pretty much any other show ESPN has (except for spelling bees — not my thing). I live for buzzer-beaters, tiebreakers, alley-oops, suicide squeezes, open-ice checks and Hail Mary’s.

I am stoked because being sports editor allows me the opportunity to be surrounded by what I love — sports. I look forward to standing on the sidelines, watching the Tritons in both victory and defeat. I think it’s awesome that over half of the 23 teams made postseason play — a respectable feat for a school that doesn’t hand out scholarships. Even better, we had 14 teams ranked nationally, with four in the top ten and a huge jump for men’s tennis from No. 23 to No. 13.

While it would be great if we had scholarships, I am glad to be in this unique situation where the athletes play not for the money or prestige, but simply because they love it. And these days, it’s hard to find athletes who are willing to sacrifice such things simply for love of the game. And in the end it pays. The Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete winners, Kris Chiles and Audrey Sung, are just two of the many phenomenal athletes who have played and worked hard, and for that they have a bright future ahead of them. I bet that not many colleges out there have these kinds of talented athletes who are just as successful in school as they are in their sport.

Again, I look forward to the upcoming sports season and, hopefully, there will be some great stories for this section. Besides, Annika Sorenstam finally got to play with the boys, and now I get to write with them.