Each academic year, The Bootleg's Honor Roll will recognize the top ten Stanford student-athletes who have performed at an exceptional level, with athletic accomplishments that are both extraordinary and inspirational.  While achieving athletic success, these athletes should also have displayed uncommon leadership, sportsmanship and respect towards their fellow teammates and opponents.  Finally, these honorees' performances and actions should also demonstrate their love for their particular sport as well as their school pride, the famed “Spirit of Stanford.”

During the months of June and July, we are releasing the 10 winners of this prestigious award, one by one.  We have previously recognized baseball’s Jason Castro, gymnastics’ David Sender, swimming’s Julia Smit and Paul Kornfeld, soccer’s Rachel Buehler and track's Erica McLain as amongst this year’s winners. Our seventh announced member of The Bootleg's 2007-08 Honor Roll is runner Arianna Lambie.

Honor Roll Winner: Arianna Lambie 

We at The Bootleg take seriously that each year’s Honor Roll is not a career achievement award, but reflects the ten most deserving athletes of that particular school year. The point, however, is largely moot for our seventh awardee, runner Arianna Lambie, who capped off an extraordinary career with an extraordinary year.

Two statistics sum up Lambie’s career better than any. First, she graduates Stanford a 14-time All-American. Second, Stanford women’s cross-country won four national titles in her years on the Farm. It’s a Tiger Woods-like run for an athlete who’s shown that same hunger for winning in her years here.

This past school year, Lambie won her third straight individual Pac-10 title in the fall, leading Stanford to the conference cross-country crown. Lambie then finished fifth at NCAA Regionals and ninth at the NCAA Finals (just one spot shy of yet another All-American honor) to pace the Cardinal to its third straight national title in women’s cross country. Perhaps most impressively, Lambie has been a co-captain for all three of those titles.

Lambie capped her Stanford runner career indoors (her eligibility expired before the 2008 outdoor track season), placing third at the 3,000 meters and helping the distance medley team finish third at NCAAs. She was also the 3K conference champion this indoor season.

For her efforts, Lambie was named the Pac-10 Woman of the Year. The fifth-year senior and earth systems major also earned the Al Masters Award this spring. The Masters is the highest honor Stanford gives to a student athlete, recognizing academics, athletic performance, and leadership.

Lambie’s PRs are incredible: a 4:12 1,500, a 15:31 5K, a 2:08 800. She graduates Stanford as part of the school record-holding distance medley relay team, and the American record-holding 4 x1500 meter relay from the 2006 Penn Relays. In addition to capturing three straight cross-country titles (and a fourth her freshman year), Stanford claimed second nationally at NCAA Indoors and its first-ever Pac-10 outdoor track title in Lambie’s years here.

Lambie won the Pac-10 1,500-meter crown her last two years running outdoor track, and, in 2007, became the first-ever woman to double as the 1,500-meter and 5K champion. She was the conference champion and national runner-up in the indoor 5K in 2007, indoor mile and 3K conference champion in 2006 and indoor mile conference champion in 2005. Lambie came into Stanford the number one prospect in her class as a two-time state champion and the national high-school record holder in the 1,000 meters.

Throughout it all, Lambie has been diligent in the classroom, making the Pac-10 All-Academic track and cross-country lists literally every year she’s been eligible. She taught science at a Palo Alto elementary school and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics and Kids with Dreams while at Stanford.

Earlier this summer, Lambie just missed qualifying for the Olympics in the 5K. Because she hadn’t achieved an Olympic A standard, finishing in the top-three of the Olympic Trials two weeks ago in Eugene, Ore. wasn’t enough – Lambie also needed to finish in 15:09. She went out hard, therefore, leading at the 3,200 mark at 9:49 (right on the A-standard pace). But Lambie faded in the last few laps, finishing sixth and missing out on Beijing.

Still, four team national titles, 14 All-American titles, Stanford’s most prestigious award for a student-athlete and, quite possibly, the NCAA Woman of the Year (the winners are announced in the fall) is not a bad haul at all for Arianna Lambie. TheBootleg wishes her the best and congratulates her on an excellent career, season – and spot on this year’s Honor Roll.