AAAAA boys: Look for the Gallup Bengals to continue their long standing tradition of excellence at the state meet. Gallup has won 13 of the last 17 big school championships including a stretch of 12 in a row between 1983 and 1994. The Bengals have five of their top 7 returning from a 1999 squad that won by a 38-point margin over Albuquerque La Cueva. The 8^th ranked in the nation Gallup team will be lead by CR Davis and Irwin Touchine who should battle with Cameron Clarke of Albuquerque Sandia for the individual title. Both Davis and Touchine have finished in the top 20 at the state meet for 3 consecutive years now. Gallup's toughest obstacle should be the Albuquerque Sandia team that finished third last year and has been performing well all season. Gallup should have the upper hand after handing Sandia a decisive defeat in early September at the Manzano Invitational.

AAAAA girls: With only a narrow short handed defeat early in the year to an Arizona squad from Ganado the Gallup girls look to defend their state title and win an impressive 5^th state championship in a row. Last year the Bengals dominated the rest of the field by winning the state meet by 50 points. 1999 runner up La Cueva should be pushed by Albuquerque Eldorado for 2^nd place. Eldorado finished 3^rd in 1999 and battles throughout the season show that these two teams are likely to trade places in 2000. Individually it looks to be an easy victory for two time All-American Felicia Guliford of Gallup. Guliford should easily out class the competition on her home course and use the victory as a warm up to the Foot Locker West Region. Other top individuals should be Roxann James of Gallup (5^th in 1999) and newcomer Jaime Kane of Eldorado.

AAAA boys: The Albuquerque Academy Chargers are the odds on favorite in the AAAA division. With two consecutive state titles and 3 of the last 5 won by the Charger boys they should field a team that will be tough to beat. Keeping with recent years Academy's toughest competition should come from the Los Alamos Hilltopppers. Los Alamos now has three consecutive runner-up finishes at state. Look for Academy's depth in the 4^th - 7^th man positions to be tested by the front runners of Los Alamos. Los Alamos has the top two returnees from 1999 in this classification. Brad Skidmore has looked very impressive all season and his only test may come from his fellow teammate Kit Werley. This will be Skidmore and Werley's 5^th time at the state championship. Both have competed for the Hilltoppers on the varsity since the 8^th grade. Skidmore can become the first Hilltopper to win an individual state title on the boys' side since Anthony Sandoval in 1971. The battle for third place in the team standings should come from Las Cruces Onate and Taos.

AAAA girls: After an impressive 2^nd place finish to Gallup at the 36 team Gallup Invitational on September 30 the Los Alamos Hilltoppers look to be the class of the field in AAAA. If they do go on to win the title it will be Los Alamos' 6^th in the past 9 years. Their toughest competition will be a Moriarty team that beat them last year for 2^nd place at state. Despite few seniors lost to graduation the 1999 winner Kirtland Central has not looked nearly as strong this season as they did last. Look for them to contend for a trophy but have a tough time matching the depth of Los Alamos lead by their #1 runner Sabrina Bartlett. Two individuals that should be ahead of Bartlett are Alicia Torres of Taos and Timmie Murphy of Farmington. Murphy finished only 14^th last year at state but has posted numerous meet victories thus far in 2000.

AAA boys: No team benefited more from the new five tiered classifications in New Mexico than the Pojoaque Elks. In recent years earning a state trophy has been difficult against the likes of Albuquerque Academy and Los Alamos. Six of the seven teams that finished ahead of Pojoaque in 1999 are now in the AAAA division. The Elks picked a good year to return a strong squad. Thus far in 2000 the Pojoaque squad has yet to be pushed by an AAA opponent. The Elks have never won a state team title in cross-country, 2000 looks to be their year. Look for their lead three runners to run as a pack and finish close to the front. Steven Martinez, Kevin Austin, and Aaron Trujillo should all be in the top 10 individually. The son of a former state champion from the same school Gary Louis Jr. of Grants will push Leonardo Jim of Wingate and Jesus Romero of Las Vegas Robertson for the overall crown.

AAA girls: With every team that finished ahead of Pojoaque on 1999 now in the AAAA division the Elks may be taking two team titles home in 2000. The lady Elks have fared well thus far this season against the tougher large school classifications. Returning for Pojoaque is last years individual state champion Jackie Gallegos. This would be Gallegos' third individual crown being that she won in as a sophomore in 1997. She wont have to carry the load by herself this year, providing strength at the #2 runner is Kelly Sanchez who should make the jump from a top 15 finish in 1999 to a top 5 finish this year. A ways back in the overall points race but still contending for trophies should be the squads from Grants and Shiprock. The Grants Pirates are lead by Erin Lewis, likely the second best individual in AAA.

AA - A boys: Coming out of nowhere to win in 1999 the Pecos Panthers proved that they could perform well when it counted most so they should not be overlooked. However, the Zuni Thunderbirds may be more than Pecos can handle. Look for Zuni to run away with the title and to leave Pecos to battle with Santa Fe Indian School and Jemez Valley for the two remaining trophies. If Zuni does come out on top it will be the small schools 12^th state title since the inception of state cross-country competition in 1960. Individually, look for little known Reed Bienvenue of Santa Fe Prep to surprise some people and be first to the tape in this division. Bienvenue's top competition should come from Payton Kallestewa of Zuni.

AA - A girls: The team competition is surely too close to call. Rehoboth, Jemez Valley, Zuni, and Laguna-Acoma all have longstanding traditions of strong squads. 2000 looks to be no different for these four teams. All can contend for the title but will have to defeat the defending champions from 1999 Santa Fe Indian School. Watch for two of the five to be left off the awards podium on November 4^th. With defending state champion Linda Yearley of Santa Rosa running well again this season it looks like her crown will be tough to take away. If there is someone that can dethrone Yearley it may be Tenisha Gachpin of Jemez Valley.