Lincolnton High School finished third in the boys' state cross country meet in 1998 and second last year behind Salisbury.

Does that mean it is ready to take the title in 2000?

"I hope so," said coach Jeff Cloninger, a former Lincolnton runner now in his 13th season as coach of the Wolves. "We lost two of our good runners, but we should still contend for the title. We've got some good runners back."

The Wolves had one of their top athletes, Travis Von Staden, move to New York this summer and another runner transfer to East Lincoln to play soccer. But the bulk of the lineup is back, including senior Mark Hoffmann, who fought off a shoulder injury to become one of the top runners in the state last season.

"He made all state last year and we're expecting him to do it again," Cloninger said of Hoffmann. "He's working hard to be a leader for us."

Hoffmann, who injured his shoulder in a four-wheeler accident last fall, will probably be No.1 for Lincolnton. But he is being pressed hard by junior Perrell Bess, who nipped Hoffmann at the tape last year to win conference runner of the year.

Another contender for the top spot is junior Lamar Blake.

"He's been hampered with injuries the past two years, but he's healthy now," Cloninger said. "If he's injury free, he's as good as the other two. I really think all three of them have a chance to be in the top 15 in the state."

The fourth runner on the Lincolnton team should be junior Jordan Link.

"He finished 14th in the regional last year and could be even better this year," Cloninger said. "He's really stepped up in practice."

While he knows his top four can get the job done, Cloninger is most concerned about his fifth and sixth runners, because he knows the importance of having a strong lineup all the way down.

"This year, it might come down to those people," Cloninger said. "Even if the other four finish well, we've got to have a good fifth guy. But we've got some pretty good young runners."

Junior Paul Hargrove and sophomore Flavio Leiton are competing for the fifth spot on the Lincolnton team. But freshmen Steven Moore and Luis Soto also are looking strong.

"It's hard to tell right now because we haven't had a meet," Cloninger said. "But they're all coming along well."

Cloninger gets an up close look at his runners every day, because he is usually right beside them in practice.

"I get out there and run with them," said Cloninger, who competed at Western Carolina University after his Lincolnton High School running days. "I think that helps a lot. I'm 42 now. When they see me going out there and pushing it, it makes them push."

Cloninger also thinks the team's success, especially the past two seasons, has helped the Wolves attract good runners.

"Once you do have success, it starts breeding," he said. "Once you start building a tradition, people want to be a part of it. We're pretty young, so we should be good for a while."