The LaVern Gibson cross country course in Terre Haute feels more and more like home to the Stanford women's cross country team. Running away with the NCAA championship trophy also seems familiar.

The top-ranked Cardinal successfully defended its national title on Monday, winning its third straight championship, and its second straight in Terre Haute.

"This course is a really interesting one," said senior Arianna Lambie, Stanford's top finisher in ninth with a 20:18.2. "If you don't play it right, it can really come back and bite you. It's a real advantage to have run it before and having the comfort of just running at nationals is equally beneficial."

Lambie, a redshirt senior, has been a part of all four Stanford titles in the past five years. She also finished in the top 10 in each of the past three seasons. On Monday, she helped Stanford recorded 145 points, beating Oregon's 177-point effort.