When you dedicate yourself to the craft of a sport, you tend to immerse yourself in the entire world of athletics. That can lead to some intense fandoms and athletic crushes. Student Life asked some of Wash. U.’s most prominent athletes about the professional athletes that make their hearts beat faster.

After a historic season and nearly single-handedly vaulting the Washington University women’s soccer team into the NCAA Division III finals, junior Lizzy Crist has been honored with D3soccer.com’s 2015 Goalkeeper of the Year award.

If it weren’t for a broken hand in 2011 and a nerve-wracking tryout in 2013, the Washington University men’s cross-country team would be without its most decorated runner thus far in 2015.

In a competitive field of 46 teams, including 12 ranked in last week’s U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association rankings, the Washington University women’s cross country team took the title at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh AAE Invitational Pre-National race on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Wash. U. men finished sixth in their field of 45.

In front of over 2,000 fans, the most at Francis Field since last October, the Washington University football team allowed a season-low 181 yards of total offense on its way to dominating Rhodes College by a score of 37-7. With the win, the Bears have now won 13 of their last 14 home games.

“One of our main goals this year is to win the UAA.”

As conference season approaches, both the Washington University men’s and women’s basketball teams hope to remain unbeaten as they finish their nonconference schedules over the next month. The No. 3 men are undefeated with a sparkling 9-0 record, and the No. 5 women have blown teams out both at home and on the road to reach a perfect 7-0 mark.

Returning a number of key players from last year’s squad, the No. 10 Washington University women’s basketball team enters this season with high hopes and expectations. The Bears return their top three scorers, now all seniors, from last season’s team that won the University Athletic Association championship but bowed out in the NCAA tournament’s second round.

It took two long years, but junior midfielder Jack West felt the relief wash over him when his penalty kick for the Washington University men’s soccer team ended up in the back of the net in an early September game against Greenville College.

For the second straight year, junior Connie Zhou won the highly competitive Golfweek Fall Preview Championship to guide the Washington University women’s golf team to a repeat runner-up finish at this week’s tournament in Sandestin, Fla.