Many people have a Valentine to share this special day with. And each person has their own list of qualities that make others attractive to them, whether it be looks, intelligence or charm.

Likewise, Arizona athletes commonly find what they’re looking for, romantically, in the environment they inevitably are put in on a daily basis: McKale Center.

It’s a beehive, constantly swarming with smart, motivated and attractive student-athletes at the top of their game; it’s no surprise to find that athletes tend to date other athletes.

On top of that, athletics programs are based out of McKale, which includes the weight room, training room, study rooms, coaches’ offices and most of the locker rooms. This makes it almost impossible not to know – or at least encounter – every athlete in the premises.

Between their physically-endowed characteristics and extended amounts of time spent together, it’s no surprise to find that athletes tend to date other athletes within the center.

“”It makes the relationship a lot easier just because we’re both athletes,”” said Dominique Lamb, an Arizona volleyball player, who is dating UA track and field athlete, Daniel Marshall. “”Versus dating a non-athlete, their schedule might not be that demanding.””

Lamb and Marshall met at an All-Star track meet in high school.

“”I remember her being really goofy,”” Marshall said on the first time he met Lamb. “”She won these sun glasses from winning (an event), so to get her attention, I took them from her and told her she might get them back at the (All-Star’s) after party.””

They both agree that dating another athlete works out great because of the understanding and support they give each other with the hectic lifestyles they live.

“”We see a lot of each other around McKale, because we basically live there,”” Lamb said.

Marshall and Lamb have been together ever since the sunglasses epidemic; they will be celebrating their fifth anniversary this summer.

It’s hard to imagine what could possibly be a more convenient dating alternative than two athletes being together. But two members of the same team dating is a more perfect fit than a Speedo.

The Arizona swim team is full of peak-performance athletes, which explains its high rankings at No. 1 (men) and No. 4 (women). Between the amount of time the teams spend together in and out of the water, relationships are bound to happen. This explains the three sets of couples on the swim team.

Dana Christ and Cory Chitwood met last summer at a swim meet in Hawaii where they were asked to represent the USA team.

Christ said they have been really good friends since they met, and they’ve been dating since the beginning of the fall semester.

“”We try not to bring the girlfriend-boyfriend aspect on the pool deck and just to keep it teammate friendly,”” Christ added.

Jenny Forster and Albert Subirats, another pair, were not drawn to each other on first impulse.

“”When she came to the team, her freshman year, we didn’t really talk that much,”” Subirats said. “”We started talking more her second semester, and that turned into a relationship.””

Subirats first noticed Forster’s eyes and smile, but once he got to know her, he developed a whole new perspective.

“”She’s a really cool girl – one of the few I know who isn’t high maintenance,”” Subirats said. “”She understands how hard I have to work in school and training. Plus, it’s fun to see her every day for a couple extra hours. She’s the best girlfriend I’ve ever had.””

Some people may think that dating a team member would be distracting, but Forster sees it as an extra push of motivation.

“”Having him around helps me more than anything,”” Forster said of Subirats. “”It’s like when you have that person you really care about watching you, and you always want to do your best for them.””

Forster and Subirats have plans tonight for Valentine’s Day and they also look forward to celebrating a six-month mark in their relationship this coming Tuesday.

Andrea Boritzke and Kurt Denninghoff, the third swim pair, met on different terms than most.

Denninghoff was on a recruiting trip during his senior year in high school, and Boritzke was a freshman at Arizona.

“”The first time I saw him, I said, ‘He’s hot … Dibs!'”” Boritzke said with a giggle. “”All the girls (on the swim team) were fighting over him.””

The two hit it off right from the start, and continued talking through his last year at Sabino High School.

“”We kept dating because he lives in Tucson,”” Boritzke said. “”Then it turned into a more serious relationship once he started school here. We’ve been together for almost 10 months now.””

McKale has been the starting point for many happy marriages. Whether this will be the case for present athletes, only Cupid knows.