Bingham High (South Jordan, Utah)
Bingham enters the 2000 Race of Champions as the No. 1 seed. The team returns six of its top nine runners from last year's Great American Race of Champions first-place squad.

The mighty Bingham team, led by twins Laura (17:41 5K; 1999 state champ) and Jackie Zeigle (18:12 5K; 1999 state runner-up), is ranked No. 1 nationally by The Harrier's Cross Country Report. It holds the McAlpine team course record with an 18:13 average.

Other key runners include Angie Campbell (18:34 5K, 5:11 M) and Stacie Grover (18:58 5K). Seniors Molly Baker and Bekah Jgvtzsih, both sub-19:45 5K runners, fill the gap of three departing sub-18:48 runners.

Bowman High (Bowman, N.D.)
Is Cinderella coming to the ball? If she does, she just may be from Bowman High (enrollment 160) in Bowman, N.D.

The team was ranked No. 20 nationally in 1999 and returns its top nine runners from a squad that took seven of the top 11 spots in last year's state championships. Shockingly, the '99 state championship team - Bowman has won 20 of the last 21 state titles, a national record - consisted of three eighth-graders, two ninth-graders, one 10th-grader, and even one seventh-grader.

	Alicia Craig won the 1999 Foot Locker West Regional.

Campbell County High (Gillette, Wyo.)
Coach Orville Hess has assembled yet another outstanding team. Campbell County is the five-time defending state champion (six titles in the '90s), placing four runners in the top 10 and its fifth runner in 16th place.

Campbell returns all five of its top runners, including Alicia Craig (17:19 5K; 1999 state champion; 1999 Foot Locker West Regional champ). Campbell is the No. 5 seed in this year's Race of Champions.

Colonie Central High (Albany, N.Y.)
Coach Frank Myers brings to Charlotte four of his top five runners from a team that was ranked No. 3 nationally in 1999, when it won the New York state championship. Colonie will have the fastest three frontrunners in the Race of Champions. Look for Kate Twarog, Nicole Susser and Ashleigh Borwell to run sub-17:50 races on McAlpine's quick course. They will be followed by Ashley Tremblay and Julie LaFranco, both excellent runners with sub-18:30 ability. Colonie will be the No. 2 seed in the Race of Champions.

Eisenhower High (Yakima, Wash.)
Eisenhower returns six of its top seven runners from the 1999 Washington state championship team. The squad entered the 2000 season undefeated in 50 consecutive league meets, spanning six years. Eisenhower won three state titles in the '90s.

This year's team lacks a proven frontrunner, but expect one to emerge from last year's talented group of freshmen.

Esperanza High (Anaheim, Calif.)
Coach Rich Medellin will return to Charlotte with a much-improved team from last year, including its top two runners and six of its top seven from 1999. Esperanza has taken a top five place in California's Division I in each of the last four years, a feat no other girls' cross country team in the state has accomplished. Collegiate great Courtney Pugmire (BYU) is an Esperanza alumna.

Fitch High (Groton, Conn.)
Fitch has boasted Connecticut's premier cross country program in recent years, having won the Class L championship in 1998 and ?99. It has placed in the top 10 in each of last four years. Fitch returns seven of its top nine runners from the 1999 team. Coach Shawn Towne's team will be lead by junior Rachel Harrington, who finished ninth in last year's state meet.

Douglas Freeman High (Richmond, Va.)
Freeman, coached by Mark Harvey, placed all five of its runners in the top 20 of last year's Virginia 3A title-winning team. It returns six of nine runners from last season and is led by senior Laura Hofman and junior Julia Siegel. But this excellent program also has a number of young runners who will fill the gap left by three graduated seniors.

Green Valley High (Henderson, Nev.)
Green Valley is the program that produced last year's Wendy's High School Heisman winner, Abby Miller (17:08 5K), who has since graduated. Green Valley is led this year by rising sophomores Emily Eskin and Jackie Faureau. The duo placed third and seventh, respectively, in last year's state meet - Miller took first place. Coach Jeff Doyle has a dedicated team of youngsters that includes four sophomores and one freshman.

Hopi High (Keams Canyon, Ariz.)
The 1999 Arizona 1A/2A champs, led by coach Harvey Honyouti, have won 12 of the last 13 state titles (second place the other year). Hopi has produced five individual state champs in the last 13 years.

This fall, the team will be led by four super sophomores, who all placed in the top 10 in last year's state championship meet. The top runner is Martina Goklish, the defending Arizona champ (19:03), followed by Mallaory Shattuck, the state runner-up (19:18), Alyssa Fredericks (fourth, 19:30), Tara Secakuku (10th, 20:11) and Kim Zahne (13th, 20:35). Debra Namoki and Tessa Beatty should also help Hopi vie for the Race of Champions title.