TACOMA, Wash. – Most college couples who see each other on campus are likely to share a hug or perhaps a kiss.

Jackson Reisner '24 and Jaida Wood '25, however, have an elaborate handshake routine capped off with an E.T.-like finger connection.

As the resident handshake artists for the Pacific Lutheran men's and women's basketball teams, respectively, the pair have appearances to keep up after all.

"We are both the handshake people for our teams so it only makes sense that we have our own cool handshake," said Wood, a first-year from Port Angeles, Washington, majoring in Kinesiology and plans on pursing teaching. 

The handshakes are put into use before games as starters are announced. Generally, the substitutes line up in two rows to form a kind of tunnel and as starters are announced they run through the tunnel high-fiving teammates until they reach the handshake person, who then greets them with an elaborate routine.

"Last year it was Grayson Peet and we were good buddies," said Reisner, a sophomore from Burlington, Washington, majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education.

"He asked me personally if I wanted to do the handshakes this year because my friends think I'm really outgoing and funny. I figured I could make up the handshakes and I just kind of became the person to do it."

The pair only overlaps on one handshake and that is a TSA-style pat down that is used for Sean McCurdy on the men's team and Ava Edmonds on the women's team.

"The pat down and send off … I thought that one was cool and different," Edmonds said. "It's not too flashy; no dancing or anything and it's quick."

Some of the handshakes are just a hand jive type of greeting, while some involve dancing or elaborate setups.

"Sometimes I wish we spent more time developing a super intricate handshake with lots of moves that only (Jaida) and I know," Edmonds said. "But what looks cool and unique and works for the camera is what I end up doing."

Wood's greeting for starting post Stacie Spahr involves getting on her knees and offering a crown to Spahr in a type of coronation.

Reisner has one that he copied from NBA stars LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. It involves doing the dance move the Nae Nae with point guard Sam Noland.

"Joy is one of our core values," said men's basketball coach Chad Murray, "and when opportunities present themselves to where you can have some levity and just let kids be kids and have fun playing the game, I think that is a great thing."

Staying loose before games can be difficult for even the most seasoned college basketball player, so anything that brings a little levity and energy can only be a good thing.

"The handshakes you do and the things that a player like that does that makes their connections with each player more unique and in depth," said women's coach GC Hillburn, "It's just one of the things that makes your team different and together and closer in a much more positive way."

Reisner and Wood take that charge seriously, researching potential handshakes they can take from the NBA and Division I basketball players.

"I always like watching them and just being pleasantly surprised every time," said Hillburn, who doesn't have a favorite handshake. "There are ones I know they have probably seen other people do, but every once in a while they do one I haven't seen before."

They even bounce ideas off of each other, as highlighted by their own special handshake.

"It was very funny when we found out that we were both doing the handshakes for our teams," Reisner said. "We are very similar. We are both the types of people that like to have fun. We both love the game of basketball and making it fun."

Fans can catch the Lutes' creative handshakes this weekend with the basketball programs hosting George Fox University on Friday and Willamette University on Saturday inside Olson Gymnasium. Women tip at 6 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. on Saturday with the men playing at approximately 8 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Fans in attendance will be required to wear masks and food and drink will not be allowed inside the facility.