A football player points to the sky after scoring a touchdown. A baseball player kisses his cross necklace before stepping up to bat. An athlete thanks God in his speech after receiving an award.
Religion and athletics often cross paths and sometimes seem intertwined. From individual to team sports, athletes often attribute their success to God. And even when athletes are unsuccessful, many count on their faith to pull them through.
This tendency extends across different sports and throughout time, and many athletes say it exists for many reasons.
UNM heptathlete Sandy Fortner said faith is an easy thing to turn to in the face of the stress and challenges of being a student-athlete.
"If you have something to believe in, it gets you through not only a race, but through the day," she said. "A lot of us turn to God because it's an easy thing to do - you don't have to work at it. You just pray and accept God saved us from our sins. It's something simple throughout a day that is so complicated."
Lobo men's basketball standout Tony Danridge - whose father is a preacher - said a lot of people turn to God to ask, "Please let us win this game." But Dandridge looks at his faith in a different way.
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"God blessed me with athleticism, so every time I do something, I try to play as if I'm performing for him," he said. "Some people think that just because they praise God, they will win. I don't believe in that. I just praise him for every gift he gave me. He gave it to me, so I praise him through it."
Looking to faith during competition is commonly seen not only through religious gestures, but jewelry and accessories, as well.
Fortner wore a necklace inscribed with the verse "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" until 2006 when it broke off during her career-best 400-meter relay performance after competing in 11 other events. Now she wears a cross necklace that says "Faith," and she said it has multiple purposes.
"I always like to have something that symbolizes that God is close to me," Fortner said. "It's a comfort. And if I'm wearing it, maybe it will help spread the word and influence the people competing around me."
Faith in athletics extends beyond Judeo-Christian practices, too. Asal Salehpoor, a sophomore jumper on the UNM track team, was born in Iran and is Muslim. She, too, incorporates her faith in competition.
"Before I jump or race, I'll say, 'Allah, please let me jump far,' and then one of or all of the Surahs after that," Salehpoor said. "I say them for good luck and for God to help me and bring me good fortune."
And even when that good fortune doesn't come, a lot of athletes turn to faith to get through tough, trying times.
Danridge broke his leg the preseason before what would have been his senior year in 2008. He had to sit out during a successful Lobo season and go through grueling rehab for almost a year. During a time it seemed easy to be mad at God, Danridge said, he instead used faith and scripture to overcome.
"God does everything for a reason, so I kept faith that I'd get back, and I'd be able to play again," he said. "Thoughts coming into my head from scripture, reading the Bible - that encouraged me, and doing that kept my head straight."
In success and in failure, for Christians and non-Christians, a higher power presides for many athletes, and many athletes play for that higher power.
The trend is enduring, so seeing athletes point to the sky, kiss crosses and thank God will likely be a part of highlights for a long time to come.
