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Across the country on Saturday, Nov. 11, collegiate cross country teams will vie for 31 starting positions in the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships, Nov. 20 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The top two teams from each of the nine regionals qualify automatically for the finals. In addition to these 18 automatic qualifying teams, the NCAA will select 13 "at-large" teams on Monday, Nov. 13 based on regular-season wins against other automatic and potential-qualifying teams. A total of 38 individuals from non-qualifying teams also advance to the NCAA finale -- the top four individuals from each region plus two at-large individuals selected nationally. A total of 256 athletes of each gender will qualify for the NCAA championships final.

Here's my preview for each of the nine regional qualifying meets. I review the seasons of each of the top contending teams and individuals, as well as estimate the likelyhood of an at-large berth for potential "bubble" teams based on their win/loss records.

NORTHEAST REGION Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, New York

'99 Results: Providence 62, Brown 72, Boston Univ. 89, Boston College 110, Columbia 168 Individuals: 1, Heather Cappello, PC, 17:12; 2, Shannon Smith, BC, 17:16; 3, Claire Sherman, PC, 17:20; 4, Sara Tindall, Brown, 17:21

The Northeast region has regained its status as one of the strongest regions in the country, with five teams ranked among the top 26 in the most recent coaches' poll: Boston College (6th), Yale (12th), Providence (16th), Brown (22nd), and Columbia (26th). All five of these programs have produced excellent 2000 campaigns and this region is likely to have five teams on the starting line in Ames, Iowa on November 20th.

Although they only finished 4th last fall at the Northeast regional, the 6th-ranked Boston College Eagles have exploded onto the scene this fall. The Eagles dominated a strong interregional field at the Sept. 30 Iona Meet of Champions -- contested over the regional course -- by placing their scoring five among the top 9 finishers. BC followed up with an excellent 6th-place finish at Pre-NCAAs, then dominated the Big East champs with 4 runners in the top 10 and a strong 37-second 1-5 spread over 5k. Big East runner-up Megan Guiney leads the Eagles and is backed up by Katie Ryan, Laura Smith, Cate Guiney, and Jen Kramer.

Surprising Yale is another team that has significantly improved since last fall. Yale burst onto the national scene this fall with a huge runner-up performance at Minnesota's Roy Griak Invitational (Sept. 23), which they followed up with a dominating win at the Oct. 13 New England Championships over regional rival Providence, then edged Ivy rivals Brown and Columbia at the Oct. 27 Heptagonals at Van Cortlandt. Twin sisters Laura and Kate O'Neill along with Lindsay Mitchell lead the Bulldogs.

Last year's regional champ Providence, 10th at the '99 NCAA meet, will have a tough time defending their crown. The Friars have struggled a bit this season with '99 leader Heather Capello sidelined with injuries. Despite this loss, PC finished fifth at Griak, second to Yale at New Englands, and a surprise second to Boston College at Big Easts. Senior Rachel Hixon leads the Providence squad, where she's joined at the front by Roisin McGattigan and Claire Sherman.

Brown surprised many last fall with an excellent 9th-place finish at the NCAA championships. Sara Tindall and Kim Thalmann finished 1-2 for the Bears at the Heps, paving their way to a close second to Yale at that meet. Earlier this fall, Brown finished third at Iona and 15th at Pre-NCAAs.

One of the biggest surprises this fall has been Columbia, which burst onto the scene with a 19th-place effort at Pre-NCAAs, then a strong third at Heps. Caitlin Hickin leads the Lions.

Other contenders include American East conference champ Boston University, which finished third at regionals last fall and advanced to the NCAA meet, and Cornell, 4th at this years Heps.

In the individual race, Brown's Sara Tindall and Boston College's Megan Guiney apppear to be the class of the field. Tindall won the Heps crown, while Guiney won the Iona Invite and took runner-up honors at Big Easts. In head-to-head competition, Guiney and teamate Katie Ryan edged Tindall at Iona, while Tindal returned the favor by finishing 14th at Pre-NCAAs -- five places ahead of Guiney.

Tindall's teammate Thalmann earned runner-up honors at Heps, while BC's Laura Smith and Katie Ryan have also been running well.

Laura and Kate O'Neill finished 1-3 at the New England champs, while the New England runner-up, Providence's Rachel Hixson, was 15th at the '98 NCAAs and fourth at this fall's Big East meet.

Boston University's Bolpar Vinh ran away with the American East title, while Vermont frosh Michelle Palmer took runner-up honors. Massachusetts's Kristen Cisowski finished second at the Atlantic 10 meet, while Darmouth's Erin Dromgoole placed 5th at Heps.

MID-ATLANTIC REGION Penn State, University Park, Pennsylvania

'99 Results: Georgetown 44, Villanova 51, Bucknell 115, Princeton 139, Penn State 147 Individuals: 1, Carmen Douma, Vil, 16:58; 2, Kristen, Nicolini, Vil, 17:05; 3, Kristen Gorden, Geo, 17:06; 4, Ann McGranahan, Vil, 17:19; 5, Christine Kane, StJo, 17:20

The Mid-Atlantic region features three top-25 teams: Georgetown (13th), Villanova (18th), and West Virginia (25th). These three teams have faced each other at both the Pre-NCAAs and Big Easts, with the margin between them shrinking between the two meets. As long as these three teams finish in the top three, they should all advance to the NCAA champs since they have strong enough records to earn an at-large berths.

Defending Mid-Atlantic champ Georgetown is the favorite based on a 9th-place finish at Pre-NCAAs and a third at Big Easts. NCAA Indoor mile runner-up Autumn Fogg led the squad at Big Easts, but Emily Enstice and Lorena Adams are also near the front for the Hoyas.

The Villanova Wildcats have won 7 NCAA titles since 1989, the most recent coming in 1998. This year's squad finished 13th at Pre-NCAAs and fourth at Big Easts. Ann McGranahan took the Big East title.

West Virginia hopes to redeem themselves for last fall's failure to advance to NCAAs. The Mountaineers placed 16th at Pre-NCAAs and fifth at Big Easts. Rebecca Stallwood, Merissa Sexsmith, and frosh Megan Metcalf lead West Virginia.

Bucknell finished 3rd at last year's regional and had run well enough at the Pre-NCAAs to earn an at-large berth for NCAAs. This fall the Bison finished 30th at Pre-NCAAs and won the Patriot League title.

Navy finished sixth at the Heps, while Princeton finished 7th.

In the individual race, Big East champ Ann McGranahan appears to be the favorite. In addition to her conference crown, the Wildcat senior finished 2nd at the Oct. 7 Paul Short Invite and 17th at Pre-NCAAs.

Georgetown's Autumn Fogg was the runner-up indoors last winter in the NCAA mile and she finished third at Big Easts. Teammate Emily Enstice qualified for the NCAA 10k last spring.

St. Joseph's Christine Kane, an individual NCAA qualifier last fall as well as an indoor qualifier in the mile, easily ran away with the Atlantic 10 title. Bucknell's Becki Marshall likewise dominated the Patriot League individual race.

Penn State's Susan Hayer has been coming along well at the end of the season, which has been highlighted by a third-place finish at the Big Ten meet. West Virginia's Rebecca Stallwood finished fifth at Big Easts. Navy's Melissa Foon finished 3rd at the Heps.

SOUTHEAST REGION Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina

'99 Results: North Carolina 66, NC State 79, Duke 123, James Madison 148, Wake Forest 162 Individuals: 1, Trish Nervo, UNC, 17:03; 2, Maria-Elena Calle, VaCom, 17:16; 3, Christy Nichols, NCSt, 17:17; 4, Janelle Kraus, WF, 17:18; 5, Mary Jane Harrelson, AppSt, 17:20

The Southeast regions features three ranked teams: North Carolina State (14th), North Carolina (23rd), and Wake Forest (27th). While NC State and UNC appear safe in their top two spots, Wake could face strong challenges from ACC foes Duke and Virginia. All five of these schools have a shot at advancing to NCAAs since three at-large berths might come to this strong region.

NC State suffered a rare loss at last fall's Southeast regional, and looks to expunge that memory with a win at this year's race. The Wolfpack feature an excellent top five in Lindsey Rogers, Christy Nichols, Katie Sabino, Beth Fonner, and Beth Kraft but have been up and down this fall as they've held out athletes at various meets. With their full lineup, NC State finished second to top-ranked Brigham Young at the Great American Festival. Then without Rogers and Nichols, the Wolfpack finished 5th at the Oct. 6 Notre Dame Invite behind (among others) regional rival Duke. Nichols returned to the lineup at ACCs as NC State edged North Carolina 43-52 for the loop title.

North Carolina had some injury problems early this fall, but put everything together at ACCs for a close second to NC State. UNC features wonderfrosh Shalane Flanagan, who has been tearing up the trails this fall with wins in virtually every meet. Fellow newcomer Victoria Jackson, last fall's Foot Locker runner-up, debuted at ACCs and made an immediate impact for the Tar Heels.

Wake Forest looks to improve on their fifth at this meet a year ago. The Deacons feature senior Susan Day. Wake finished 10th at Griak, 4th at the Iona Meet of Champions, and won the Furman Invite over the regional course prior to finishing 3rd at ACCs.

Duke put together an excellent race to finish 3rd last fall at regionals and could repeat this finish as they were only 14 points behind Wake Forest at ACCs. Earlier this season, Duke finished 5th at the Great American Festival, 4th at Notre Dame, and 25th at Pre-NCAAs. All-American Sheela Agrawal leads the Blue Devils.

Virginia's Cavaliers could also challenge Wake Forest and Duke since they finished only 1 point behind the Blue Devils at the ACC meet. Sarah Folse led the Cavaliers to 18th at Pre-NCAAs, a strong enough finish to permit them to contend for an at large berth should they finish third.

James Madison took the Colonial AA crown over William & Mary, while Liberty won the Big South loop title.

North Carolina's Shalane Flanagan, winner of this year's USA Junior Cross Country Championships, is the strong favorite to run away with the individual race. The standout frosh scored runaway wins at invitationals at Wake Forest, William & Mary, and North Carolina as well as a 25-second victory margin at ACCs. Her only loss this season came at Pre-NCAAs, where she finished 3rd behind NCAA outdoor double-winner Kara Wheeler and defending NCAA harrier champ Erica Palmer.

Wake Forest's Susan Day was the ACC runner-up. She also finished 4th at both the Griak Invite and the Iona Meet of Champions.

Appalachian State's Mary Jane Harrleson, the 1999 NCAA 1500 titlest, finished 11th at this year's Pre-NCAAs and won the Southern Conference.

Duke's All-American Sheila Agrawal, a member of the USA Junior harrier team at last spring's World Champs, won the Notre Dame Invite, finished 20th at Pre-NCAAs and third at ACCs.

Other contenders include: William & Mary's Emily Furia, the Colonial AA champ; Virginia Commonwealth's Maria-Elena Calle, the Colonial runner-up and 8th last fall at NCAAs; Liberty's Heather Sagan, the Big South titlest, Furman's Jill Bradley, the Southern Conference runner-up; and Western Kentucky's Valerie Lynch, the Sun Belt runner-up.

GREAT LAKES REGION Eastern Michigan, Ypsilanti, Michigan

'99 Results: Wisconsin 30, Michigan St 110, Michigan 112, Notre Dame 224, Marquette 228 Individuals: 1, Erica Palmer, Wi, 16:53; 2, Domtila Mwai, EMi, 17:16; 3, Michelle Rizzo, Akron, 17:18; 4, Erin AufderHeide, Wi, 17:19; 5, Katie Clifford, Mi, 17:22.

The Great Lakes region features Wisconsin (3rd), Michigan (10th), and Marquette (21st) among the nation's ranked teams. Wisconsin and Michigan appear to have locks on the two auto berths, while Marquette appears to be a solid third and a likely candidate for an at-large berth.

Wisconsin is one of the best harrier squads in the nation and features defending NCAA champ Erica Palmer. The Badgers held out Palmer at the Sept. 30 Stanford Invite and could only finish fourth against a stellar field that included three other top-10 teams. Palmer returned to lead the Badgers to a strong third at Pre-NCAAs and a dominating win at the Big Ten champs.

Michigan won the Sept. 23 William & Mary Interregional, finished second to Stanford at the Oct. 6 Notre Dame Invite, second to Washington at the 10/15 Wolverine Interregional, and second to Wisconsin at Big Tens. Katie Jazwinski and Katie Radkewich lead the Wolverines this autumn.

Marquette missed advancing to the NCAA meet last fall by a mere 4 points at the regional. Susan Barth led the Golden Eagles to 8th at the Sept. 23 Roy Griak Invite, 14th at Pre-NCAAs, and the loop championship at the Conference USA meet.

Central Michigan edged Ball State by 1 point at the Mid American Conference champs. These two squads should contend for fourth at regionals, although only Ball State has a slim chance of an at-large berth based on their seasonal record.

Wisconsin's Erica Palmer, the defending regional and NCAA champ, is the clear favorite for the regional title. Palmer finished second at Pre-NCAAs and easily won the Big Ten meet.

Behind Palmer, Toledo frosh Tuula Laitinen looks strongest. Laitinen won the Oct. 7 Paul Short Invite, finished sixth at Pre-NCAAs, and ran away with the MAC title.

Palmer's Badger teammate Beth Brewster was the Big Ten runner-up and 18th at Pre-NCAAs. Michigan's Katie Jazwinski had an off day at Big Tens, but earlier scored runner-up performances to UNC's Shalane Flanagan at the Sept. 23 William & Mary Interregional and to Washington's Gillian Palmer at the Oct. 15 Wolverine Interregional as well as a fifth at the Oct. 6 Notre Dame Invite.

Other contenders include: Marquette's Susan Barth, Conference USA runner-up; Eastern Michigan's Domtila Mwei, the MAC runner-up; and Ball State's Katie Nowak, 3rd at MAC, and Kathy Kadziolka, 26th at Pre-NCAAs.

MIDWEST REGION University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa

'99 Results: Kansas St 40, Missouri 60, Nebraska 98, Minnesota 109, Iowa St 190 Individuals: 1, Amy Mortimer, KSt, 16:59; 2, Korene Hinds, KSt, 16:59; 3, Hanna Smedstad, OkSt, 17:02; 4, Anne Wetterhus, KSt, 17:14; 5, Amanda Crouse, KSt, 17:18

The Midwest region includes three squads ranked among the NCAA top-25: Kansas State (8th), Missouri (19th), and Minnesota (20th). Presuming that these three squads finish in the top three, all should advance to the NCAA championships since they have strong enough seasonal records to garner an at-large berth. Illinios, the fourth-rated regional squad, will also contend for an at-large berth if they finish 4th behind these three squads; however, their bid will be dependent on performances in other regions.

Kansas State has developed into a regional powerhouse during the last three seasons. The Wildcats return just about everyone from their squad that finished fifth at the NCAA harrier meet. Amy Mortimer and Korene Hinds are one of the nation's strongest front-running duos. The Wildcats finished third behind Stanford and Washington at the Sept. 30 Stanford Invite, then placed eighth at Pre-NCAAs, and garnered runner-up honors behind Colorado at the Big-12 meet.

Missouri has been improving all season. The Tigers finished 12th at the Sept. 23rd Roy Griak Invite, won the Sept. 30 Lakefront Invite, then placed 17th at Pre-NCAAs and third at Big-12s. Kerry Hils, Katie Meyers, and Anne Marie Brooks lead the Tigers.

Minnesota opened the season with a bang, winning their own Sept. 23 Roy Griak Invite over a strong national field. However they've slid a bit recently, finishing 12th at Pre-NCAAs and third at Big Tens. Still, they've beaten Missouri both times they've raced them and are likely to do so again at regionals. Senior Elaine Eggleston and frosh Darja Vasiljeva have led the Gophers all season; senior Corinne Nimitz was the team leader early, but seems to have dropped back at Pre-NCAAs and Big Tens.

Illinios makes the strongest claim on the next spot since they finished 22nd at Pre-NCAAs and fourth at Big Tens, in both cases ahead of cross-state rival Northwestern which finished 29th and 5th respectively. Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Nebraska have traded off a bit, with Nebraska 30th, Iowa State 36th, and Oklahoma State 39th at Pre-NCAAs while at the (altitude affected) Big 12 meet, the order flipped with Oklahoma State 5th, Iowa State 6th, and Nebraska 7th.

Individually, Kansas State's Amy Mortimer and Korene Hinds should run away with the top two spots as they did a year ago. Mortimer finished fourth at Pre-NCAAs and was the Big 12 runner-up, while Hinds -- the NCAA outdoor 3000 runner-up -- finished eighth at Pre-NCAAs and stuggled in Boulder's thin air to place eighth there too.

Oklahoma State's Sara Wells is running quite well, placing 12th at Pre-NCAAs and 9th at Big 12s. Iowa State's Kelly Brinkman is having an equally strong season, finishing 21st at Pre-NCAAs on her home course and an impressive fourth at Big 12s. Missouri's Kerry Hils and Anne Marie Brooks and Minnesota's Elaine Eggelston will also be near the front of the pack.

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION North Texas, Denton, Texas

'99 Results: Arkansas 30, Texas 62, Baylor 85, Texas A&M 110, Tulane 141 Individuals: 1, Lilli Kleinmann, Ark, 16:53; 2, Hanna Lyngstad, Tul, 17:01; 3, Karin Erstrom, Bay, 17:04; 4, Sita Waru, McNeese, 17:08; 5, Jessica Dailey, Ark, 17:18

Eleventh-ranked Arkansas continues to dominate this region year-in-and-year-out, although this year's competition level is stronger than it has been in a few years. Texas A&M is rated 24th, while Texas Christian also garnered a vote in the national poll. New Orleans is also looking good this season, but their coach has told me he's only planning to take his top two individuals to regionals this year.

Arkansas features the best pair of lead runners in the nation in Lilli Kleinman and Tracy Robertson. They have finished 1-2 in every race they've run this season -- and that include the Sept. 16 Iowa State Open, Sept. 30 Stanford Invite, the Oct. 14 Chili Pepper Festival, and SEC Champs. Arkansas finished 5th at Stanford behind four top-ten ranked teams, then easily won both the Chili Pepper and SEC meets. Arkansas has improved considerably over the course of the season, with Amy Wiseman and Christine Wurth closing the gap on their front-running teammates.

Texas A&M has stepped it up this season, winning the Sept. 16 Aztec Invite and finishing second at the Sept. 30 Iona Invite. Melissa Gulli and Andrea Bookout led the Aggies to fourth at the Big 12 meet. If Texas A&M were to slip to third at the regional, they have a strong enough seasonal record to contend for an at-large berth.

Texas Christian has also improved significantly this fall. Gladys Keitany and Robin Schact led the Horned Frogs to a win at the Cowboy Jamboree, a runner-up performance at Chili Pepper, and the WAC title. TCU will have trouble getting at at-large berth if they finish third since they lack wins over teams likely to qualify for NCAAs.

Like Texas A&M and Texas Christian, New Orleans has broken through this fall. Much of the credit for the Privateer's improvement is due to the enrollment of five standouts from the Czech Republic. Michaela Mannova led New Orleans to a win at the Oct. 7 Auburn Invitational, third behind Arkansas and Texas Christian at Chili Pepper, and their school's first-ever Sun Belt Conference title (in any sport).

In the individual race, Arkansas's Lilli Kleinmann and Tracy Robertson should finish 1-2 as they have done at every meet this season: Sept. 16 Iowa State Open, Sept. 30 Stanford Invite, Oct. 14 Chili Pepper Festival, and SEC championships. Kleinmann is the defending regional champ (she also won the Northeast regional two years ago as a frosh at BU), a race that she won enroute to her individual third-place performance at last fall's collegiate harrier championships.

TCU's Gladys Keitany has only lost once this fall -- to Arkansas' Kleinmann and Robertson at Chili Pepper -- and ran away with the WAC individual title.

McNeese State's Sita Waru was fourth last year at the regional and could easily match that performance. Waru was the Southland Conference champ and finished 37th at Pre-NCAAs.

New Orleans' Michaela Mannova finished fourth at Chili Pepper behind Keitany, then won the Sun Belt individual crown. Baylor's Kara Newton was fifth at the Big 12 meet.

Tulane's Hanna Lyngstad finished 2nd last year at the South Central meet, then backed it up with a surprising fourth at the NCAA meet. While she's not running at quite that level this autumn, Lyngstad and teammate Theresa Maru -- the Conference USA champ -- will contend for individual berths to Ames.

MOUNTAIN REGION Weber State, Ogden, Utah

'99 Results: Brigham Young 20, Colorado 55, Northern Arizona 95, Montana St 162, Utah St 171 Individuals: 1, Kara Wheeler, Co, 16:40; 2, Sharolyn Shields, BYU, 17:04; 3, Elizabeth Jackson, BYU, 17:06; 4, Susan Taylor, BYU, 17:06; 5, Tara Rohatinsky, BYU, 17:08

The Mountain region is one of the top two women's regions in the country and features top-rated Brigham Young University -- the defending regional and NCAA champs -- fifth-ranked Colorado, 15th-ranked Colorado State, and 17th-ranked Weber State. Northern Arizona also received a vote in the recent coaches' poll.

What can you say about Coach Patrick Shane's BYU Cougars? Brigham Young dominated last year's regional competition, sweeping 2nd-6th places with a 1-5 spread of less than 4 seconds! Then at the NCAA finals, BYU placed all five scorers in the top 26 with an amazing 18-second 1-5 split! Already this season, the Cougars have demonstrated that they're on track to replicate this feat. BYU ran away with the Sept. 16 BYU Triple Crown, Sept. 22 Great American Festival, Oct. 14 Pre-NCAAs, and Mountain West conference champs. At their conference meet, the Cougars took five of the top six places and featured a 33-second 1-5 spread over 6k. Sophomore Lindsay Thomsen has exploded onto the scene this fall to lead a squad that includes NCAA 10k champ Tara Northcutt, Sharolyn Shields-Thayer (23rd at last fall's NCAA meet), Sarah Elliot (58th last fall), and frosh Nan Evans.

As strong as BYU is, should they falter even slightly regional rival Colorado will be right there to pick them off. NCAA favorite Kara Wheeler, double-winner of the NCAA outdoor 3000/5000, has dominated the country's best this fall and is backed up by one of the best frosh in the country, Sara Gorton. Colorado dominated their own Rocky Mountain Shootout, then finished fifth at Pre-NCAAs without Gorton in the lineup. Aided by the altitude (none of their conference rivals hail from high altitude), the Buffs simply left the rest of the Big 12 in the dust, scoring 29 points against the rest of the conference.

Colorado State is rated third in this region. The Rams finished 6th at the Sept. 23 Roy Griak Invite, 10th at Pre-NCAAs, and second to BYU at the Mountain West conference. Elizabeth Roodell and Marissa Keefe lead CSU.

Weber State is just behind Colorado State. The Wildcats finished 9th at the Griak Invite, 11th at Pre-NCAAs, then won the Big Sky conference title. Rebecca Bennion and Cynthia Losee lead Weber State.

Unheralded Montana surpised Northern Arizona at the Big Sky meet for runner-up honors. Montana's Sabrina Monro and Heather Anderson finished 1-2 in the conference to give the Grizzlies a boost over the Lumberjacks. Earlier at Pre-NCAAs, NAU had finished 20th while Montana finished 28th.

Kara Wheeler "owns" the individual race. It isn't so much a question of whether she'll win but rather how big her margin of victory margin will be. In addition to winning the NCAA 3k/5k last spring and making the finals of the Olympic Trials 5000, Wheeler simply ran away from excellent fields at Pre-NCAAs and Big 12s.

Wheeler's frosh teammate Sara Gorton has run very well this season at three races in Boulder and, although she didn't appear at Pre-NCAAs because she was fighting off a virus, looks like a potential top-10 finisher at nationals.

Another potential top-10 national's finisher is Montana's Sabrina Monro. Monro finished 7th at Pre-NCAAs and ran away with the Big Sky title. Teammate Heather Anderson grabbed runner-up honors at Big Sky.

BYU's juggernaut of Lindsey Thomsen, Tara Northcutt, Sharolyn Shields-Thayer, Sarah Ellett, and any one of several other runners will be running in a tight pack near the front of any race. Thomsen finished second at Great American Festival, ninth at Pre-NCAAs, and won the Mountain West conference. Northcutt, who missed some early meets due to a minor knee injury, won last spring's NCAA 10k title.

Colorado State's Elizabeth Roodell finished 30th at Pre-NCAAs and seventh at the Pre-NCAA meet.

WEST REGION Fresno State, Fresno, California

'99 Results: Stanford 29, Washington 63, Arizona St 86, UCLA 139, Oregon 158 Individuals: 1, Julia Stamps, Stan, 16:50; 2, Erin Sullivan, Stan, 16:51; 3, Lauren Fleshman, Stan, 16:59; 4, Kelly MacDonald, AzSt, 17:04; 5, Lisa Aguilera, AzSt, 17:15.

With four squads currently ranked in the top-10 in the nation -- Stanford (2nd), Arizona State (4th), Arizona (7th), and Washington (9th) -- the West region is clearly the nation's deepest region. All four of these squads should easily advance to the NCAA champs, as well as Oregon if they can finish fifth behind only these four teams.

Stanford was ranked number one in the country until their loss to BYU at Pre-NCAAs. Other than Pre-NCAAs, the Cardinal have swept all comers with wins at their own Sept. 30 Stanford Invite, Oct. 6 Notre Dame Invite, and PAC-10s. Julia Stamps, Erin Sullivan, and Lauren Fleshman finished 1-2-3 at last fall's regional, and Fleshman and Sullivan finished fifth and seventh respectively at the nationals with Stamps a few ticks back in 14th. However, this threesome has looked suspect this fall with all three failing to show form similar to '99. Sullivan had to drop out of the PAC-10 race following a minor ankle injury, while Fleshman finally showed some promise with a third-place individual performance at PAC-10s. Stamps has not appeared in the Cardinal lineup this fall, although she ran faster in the open race at the PAC-10s than did the #4 Cardinal in the championship event. Newcomers Victoria Chang, last fall's Foot Locker champ, and Jillian Mastroianni, the Foot Locker East winner, have stepped into the Cardinal top 5 and made an immediate impact, while senior Elena Villarreal has improved significantly.

Arizona State, despite competing without the services of Olympic Trials qualifier Kelly MacDonald, has been running strongly all fall. Junior Lisa Aguilera has stepped it up to lead the Sun Devils this fall, and is joined at the front by Mary Duerback and redshirt frosh Cynthia Atencio. Arizona State finished third at the Sept. 23 Roy Griak Invite, fourth at Pre-NCAAs, and second at PAC-10s.

Cross-state rival Arizona sits only three places behind Arizona State in the coaches' poll. The Wildcats finished fourth at the Sept. 23 Roy Griak Invite, third at the Oct. 6 Notre Dame Invite (where the squad's number one run sat out to rest up for Pre-NCAAs), seventh at Pre-NCAAs, and third at PAC-10s. Tara Chaplin and Katrin Englen lead Arizona this fall.

Washington opened strongly this fall with a runner-up performance to BYU at the Sept. 16 BYU Triple Crown and to Stanford at the Sept. 30 Stanford Invite. Washington edged Michigan at the Oct. 15 Wolverine Interregional but then slipped to fourth at the PAC-10 meet when top runner Gillian Palmer suffered an off day. Cami Matson and Kate Bradshaw join Plamer at the front for the Huskies.

In addition to these four outstanding teams, the West features a bevy of other squads vying for the next five spots. Cal Poly SLO upset UC Irvine at the Big West champs, while Washington State knocked off UCLA and Oregon at PAC-10s. Out of these squads, only Oregon really has the wins (from Griak and Pre-NCAAs) to garner an at-large berth. However, the Ducks have been at best shaky in their last couple outings and will need to step it up at regionals to grab fifth.

Individually, Arizona's Tara Chaplin and Arizona State's Lisa Aguilera are co-favorites for the regional title. In head-to-head competitions this fall, Chaplin has a 2-1 record over Aguilera -- Chaplin won the Sept. 23 Roy Griak Invite and the PAC-10 champs where in each case Aguilera earned runner-up honors. Aguilera did get some measure of revenge at Pre-NCAAs where she finished fifth ahead of Chaplin's 10th.

Any of Stanford's leading runners group could put together a race at regionals and challenge for the top spot. If she's in the lineup, one can never count out defending regional champ Julia Stamp. Lauren Fleshman finished third at PAC-10s, while Elena Villarreal, Erin Sullivan, Victoria Chang, and Jillian Mastroianni are all dangerous on any given day.

Washington's Gilliam Palmer ran 15:56 for 5k over in the British Isles before transferring to the Huskies. She finished 4th at the Sept. 30 Stanford Invite and won the Oct. 15 Wolverine Interregional before having an off day at PAC-10s and slipping to 23rd. Palmer's teammate Cami Matson stepped it up at PAC-10s, where she finished fourth while Kate Bradshaw finished 10th.

Arizona's Katrin Englen has also improved this fall, finishing 22nd at Pre-NCAAs and eighth at PAC-10s, while Oregon's Hanna Smedtad, 18th last fall at NCAAs for Oklahoma State, finished ninth at the conference meet.

UNLV's Katie Barto was the only runner to break up BYU's top five at the Mountain West champs with her fifth place effort, while Irvine's Kareen Nilsson won the Big West individual title.

SOUTH REGION University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

'99 Results: South Florida 70, Florida 89, Belmont 154, Georgia Tech 175, Georgia 177 Individuals: 1, Catherine Berry, ETn, 16:52; 2, Adrea Dempsey, SFl, 17:05; 3, Amanda Lynch, Tn-Chat, 17:06; 4, Rita Arndt, SFl, 17:07; 5, Ashley LaBudde, Al, 17:08

South Florida, the only team in the region to receive votes in the coaches' poll, is favored to repeat as regional champs. The Bulls defeated a regional field that included #2 ranked Florida State at the Sept. 16 Crimson Classic on the regional's course, then edged Iowa State for the win at the Sept. 30 Greensboro Classic. South Florida suffered an off day at Pre-NCAAs and finished 27th, but rebounded with a close second to Marquette at the Conference USA meet. Rita Arndt leads the Bulls this fall.

Florida State finished second at the Sept. 16 Crimson Classic, tenth at the Oct. 6 Notre Dame Invitational, and sixth at the ACC meet. Frosh Amy Pleckaitis leads the Seminoles, who will need an automatic berth to advance to NCAAs.

Georgia is peaking well as the championship phase of the season begins. Senior Erin Jones led the Bulldogs to runner-up honors at the SEC meet behind Arkansas. Prior to SECs, Georgia had finished 17th at the Sept. 23 Griak Invite and won their own Sept. 30 Bulldog Stampede.

Auburn is also finishing the season well, grabbing third close behind Georgia at the SEC champs. Earlier, the Tigers had recorded a pair of runner-up performances behind New Orleans at the Oct. 7 Auburn Invite and to Wake Forest at the Oct. 14 Furman Invite.

Tennessee's Sharon Dickie looked like a potential All-American at the SEC meet, where she finished third behind Arkansas's front-running duo.

Behind Dickie at the SEC's, Alabama's Aly Mills and Ashley LaBudde finished fourth and sixth respectively, while Auburn's Nerissa Johnson, Alexis Hamblet, and Amy Odermatt placed fifth, eighth, and tenth respectively.

Florida State frosh Amy Pleckaitis finished ninth at the ACC meet, while South Florida's Rita Arndt claimed fourth at the Conference USA meet. Keely Weaver led Belmont with a third-place finish at the Southeast Classic.