Welcome back for another year at UCSB, and for new Gauchos, prepare for some of the most fun and exciting years of your lives.

My name is Paul-Michael Ochoa (my friends call me P MO), and I am one of two new sports editors for the Nexus. I am a third-year communication major and have worked at the Nexus since fall of my freshman year. While writing hasn’t always been my passion, sports certainly have captivated me since I can remember. I hope all the readers express the same passion and admiration for sports as I feel.

As a native of Los Angeles, I am always rooting for the Dodgers and Kings (hockey), and of course the best basketball team in the world, the Lakers. People can hate on the Lakers all they want, but it won’t matter after Kobe takes home his sixth ring this season. Also as a warning, I hate the San Francisco Giants, as should all of you.

Football is my favorite sport, but it kills me to not have a hometown team to root for. Until that glorious day arrives when LA finally has a football team, I root for the Rams. I grew up on football, basketball and baseball, and only recently began to appreciate both hockey and soccer.

One thing I hope all on campus do is give other less “popular” sports a chance. Covering both volleyball and water polo last season was a great experience and I truly admired and appreciated the games and players for their passion and competitiveness. Even if you have never watched a single set of volleyball or a minute of water polo, give these and other sports a chance; they are well worth it.

This year I plan to cover a little bit of everything, ranging from fantasy to professional sports and commentary, but most of all UCSB sports. My first introduction to UCSB athletics was the legendary 2-0 soccer victory over UCLA my freshmen year in front of nearly 16,000 fans. Once I saw the excitement our school had for the soccer team, I knew I was in the right place. That same enthusiasm spreads to basketball, but beyond that, is rarely seen at other sporting events. To truly earn the name Gaucho Locos, we should support every team on campus and make the opposition fear the days they must travel to face UCSB.

I encourage and challenge all students to go out and show support for the many athletic teams on campus. UCSB students know how to have a good time, and there is no better way to spend a weeknight than going out with friends and cheering on UCSB to victory. I don’t care if you pregame and show up to matches shwasted, just come out and support your team.

There are just three rules for you when rooting for the Gauchos: save tortilla- throwing for when we score goals, cheer your ass off for our teams, and boo and trash talk Cal Poly until your throat is sore. Do those three things and you will undoubtedly have a great time at any UCSB event.

While we may not stand in the spotlight as an athletic powerhouse, we have the tools necessary to become one of the more prominent colleges on the West Coast. As Gauchos, we know how to have fun and we know how to win on and off the court. No other college in the nation features the same balance of elite academics and crazy partying on a daily basis. Let’s show the rest of the Big West how it is done.

Best Regards,

Paul-Michael Ochoa

Welcome back Gauchos!!!! For anyone new to UCSB, welcome.
To introduce myself, my name is Kristen Henneman, and I am excited to be one of the two Nexus sports editors for this year and to provide all of you with some great sports coverage.
A little about me: I’m a third-year communication major and as you can probably guess, I LOVE sports. I’ve always been one of those girls who would rather talk athletics than just about anything else.
I’ve been writing for the Daily Nexus for the last two years now and I absolutely adore my job. Writing here has only cemented my dream of turning this love into a career.
Personally, I believe that basketball is the best sport on the planet. I love to watch, play, analyze, and write about basketball. I’m not going to lie though; I typically prefer women’s sports. This past summer while the Olympics were going on (which is the best time because there are sports on 24/7), I was glued to the television watching three of the No. 1 teams in the world: women’s basketball, women’s soccer and women’s gymnastics.
I watch the WNBA religiously and growing up, my biggest role model has been a women’s basketball player from Portugal. My guess is none of you have heard of her, but Google Ticha Penicheiro, because she passes better than anyone.
Nevertheless, as a NorCal girl my favorite team is the Sacramento Kings. While I may reside in Laker territory, I will always be loyal to purple and silver. Trust me, you won’t catch me once wearing a purple and gold color combo; although, blue and gold? Certainly, because I love UCSB sports.
When I made my very first trip to this campus, I was told how great our men’s soccer team was, especially since we won a national title in 2006.But really, they are great. For the past two weeks, they have earned the No. 3 ranking in the nation.
No we don’t have football, but trust me, the soccer makes up for it. The talent is amazing, coming from all over the world, and as a fan there’s nothing better than a flurry of tortillas in soccer heaven with Locos chanting in Spanish.
However, what I didn’t realize until my arrival is how amazing UCSB’s athletics are in general. As a UC school, I never imagined having one nationally ranked team, not to mention several.
UCSB has a fantastic athletic history with athletes such as Todd Rogers and Brian Shaw going pro. Even this past year, Luis Silva was the top UCSB draft pick ever in the MLS and the Indiana Pacers drafted Orlando Johnson.
The UCSB men’s water polo team is always ranked highly. The women’s basketball team made it to the NCAA tournament last season. The track and field team sent athletes to Olympic trials. As Gauchos, we are competitive, so my advice to all students is to go check out all the talented teams and athletes.
And if you’re a sports lover like us, come work with us, send us a story or even challenge our opinions. If you ever need me and I’m not here in the office (or working), try the basketball court, or maybe the gymnastics gym.

Have a great year,

Kristen Henneman