The "tree" streaker who dashed through crowded Maples Pavilion Sunday has been identified by friends as a Stanford economics major in his junior or senior year.

Word of the mystery streaker's identity spread quickly this week after his frontal photo, from the waist up, was published on Palo Alto Online Sunday afternoon. He made his dash during a break in the Stanford/Arizona State basketball game Sunday (Feb. 19).

Friends said they recognized the streaker as an undergraduate in economics at Stanford and a 2002 graduate of Menlo School.

The Sunday streaker had the word, "Tree" and a tree image painted on his chest and abdomen and the words "To be continued" on his back. He dashed across the floor at Maples Pavilion during a break in Sunday's (Feb. 19) game against University of Arizona, ran up a stair aisle, out an exit and streaked off.

The incident followed the sacking this month of the woman who played the Stanford Tree mascot, for performing drunk.

The streaker could not be reached for comment as to his motive or whether it was a political statement of some sort.

Stanford responds to such incidents on a complaint basis, according to spokesperson Jean McCown. She said if the person is identified the matter can be referred to Stanford's Judicial Council, which handles student discipline cases.

Stanford lost Sunday's game 76-72.

— Palo Alto Weekly staff

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