Below is a brief look at the top of each classification. There have been many changes, so you're going to see some new names at the top of some different classifications. The following predictions are based on the 2008 XC season and the 2009 track season.
Every year there are some very talented youngsters, freshmen, that break onto the scene. Not to mention any new runners to the sport who find they have quite a bit of talent for XC. Obviously, the following rankings do not take into account any of the newbies. (Although I've been hearing of a few . . . definitely a couple to watch out for!)
4A Girls
To be honest, the top spot is pretty much a toss up this season. Samantha George of Millbrook and Carolyn Baskir of East Chapel Hill should be the cream of the crop, but who's going to win? That's anyone's guess. I'm going to list Carolyn first since she's older, but this one is up in the air. There is no way you could pick a clear cut favorite among these two speedy ladies.
1) Carolyn Baskir, East Chapel Hill, Sr. - 17:50 on WakeMed course, where states are this year, 4:56.87 and 4A state champ over 1600m
2) Samantha George, Millbrook, So. - 17:48 at FL South, 8th returner, 10:56 & Raleigh Relays champ, 5:05 1600m
3) Laura Hoer, TC Roberson, Sr. - 18:48 5k PR, 5:00.21 and 3A state champ over 1600m, 2:15 for 800m
4) Kenyetta Iyevbele, Olympic, Sr. - 18:38, 5:01.20 for 2nd in 3A 1600m, 11:06 @ Raleigh Relays and 3A state champ over 3200m
5) Lauren Strapp, Leesville Road, Sr. - had a very good track season running 5:12 & 11:18, has an 18:57 PR for 5k, guessing she will continue success from track
Honorable Mentions: Sarah Hope, TC Roberson; Chelsea Hollingsworth, NW Guilford; Jessica Rossabi, Green Hope; Marie Mauhar, TC Roberson; Jenny Gallagher, Lake Norman
4A Boys
The boys race looks to have a more clear cut favorite this year, but don't count out some of the other very talented athletes. Mohamed Abushouk of Cary had a great XC season last year and an even better track season. He's definitely the one to beat in 4A and maybe the one to beat among all runners in North Carolina.
1) Mohamed Abushouk, Cary, Sr. - 15:39 5k last season while winning the Jr. race at FL South, 15:10 at Nike Outdoor Nationals, 9:12 and 2nd place at the 4A state meet
2) Blake Williams, Northern Durham, Jr. - 15:55 PR, 4:19, 9:25, & 15:35 on the track last season as a sophomore
3) Reidy Jones, Broughton, Sr. - 15:57 PR and 4th last year at 4A state XC meet, 4:19 was good for 3rd at state meet, 9:30 for 3200m
4) Jared Neely, Mount Tabor, Sr. - 15:59 PR, 9:23 over 3200m which was good for 3rd at 4A state meet, 4:20 1600m
5) Bryan Spreitzer, Green Hope, Sr. - 16:07 PR, 9:28 was good for 4th at 4A state meet, 4:27 1600m
Honorable Mentions: Rolland Geiger, Middle Creek; Jack Anderson, Reagan; Patrick Crawford, East Forsyth; Mitch Mallory, Wakefield; Matt Schick, Sanderson
3A Girls
The 3A girls is going to see a lot of new names and a lot of new teams at the top this year. Sarah Rapp of Cardinal Gibbons looks to be the favorite with a 5k XC time much faster than the rest, but looking at track times from this past season, it could be close. Sarah also won the 2A state XC title last year, so she does have plenty of experience up front.
1) Sarah Rapp, Cardinal Gibbons, Jr. - 18:27 at Foot Locker South, 11:33 and 5:16 track PR's, 2008 2A state XC champ
2) Megan McCleod, Tuscola, Sr. - 19:37 @ Tanglewood last year to place 6th at 3A XC meet, 11:31 3200 PR and a 2nd place finish at the 3A state meet
3) Mackenzie Robinson, Orange, Jr. - 19:05 PR, 11:56 3200m best, placed 2nd at last year's 2A state XC meet
4) Teal McLean, Hickory Ridge, Sr. - 19:09 5k PR, had a very good track season with 5:14 1600m PR, also ran 11:48 for 3200m
5) Jamie Vezolles, Charlotte Catholic, So. - Very talented young runner, ran 2:21 for 800m and ran 19:14 last year as a 9th grader, 13th at 2008 3A state XC meet
Honorable Mentions: Haley Kapheim, Weddington; Shannon Owens, Weddington; Erin Mcquirk, Northern Guilford; Ahna Weeks, Chapel Hill; Sarah Jane Kerwin, Chapel Hill
3A Boys
This one may be a toss up among 3 guys . . . heck, maybe more. Jake Hurysz of Eastern Alamance came on very strong last XC season and continued his success through track. However, I'm going to give the nod to last year's 3A state champ, John Harwell of Asheville. His own teammate Isaac Presson has been in the mix for the last 3 years, too, and never count out Chapel Hill to throw in a new stud or two or three or . . .
1) John Harwell, Asheville, Sr. - won 3A state XC title last year, 15:48 PR for 5k, has gone 4:20 for 1600m and 8:53 for 3000m
2) Jake Hurysz, Eastern Alamance, Sr. - 3rd at 2008 state XC meet, 15:57 PR for 5k, ran 4:21 which was good for 4th place
3) Isaac Presson, Asheville, Sr. - tons of talent here, 15:58 PR for 5k, 4:19 and 9:30 bests on the track
4) Will Bass, Nash Central, Jr. - 16:06 at FL South, finished 5th last year at 3A meet, did not run track but ran 9:43 at tune-up prior to Foot Locker last XC season
5) Asher Colburn-Hertzberg, Jr. - 16:28 PR, ran 4:33 during the track season, guarantee one of the Chapel Hill guys finishes top 5, so I'm putting Asher here for now, he was 18th in the 4A XC state meet last year
Honorable Mentions: Kyle Villemain, Chapel Hill; Will Bunch, Chapel Hill; Mark Sullivan, Cardinal Gibbons; Larry Scaggs, A.L. Brown; Jacob Hoerger, Chapel Hill
2A Girls
The favorite to win the 2A XC title looks to be Carrboro's Laura Hamon. Laura finished 2nd in the 3200m at the state meet and was 8th at last year's XC state meet. However, the 2A girls competition could prove to be the most wide open of them all.
1) Laura Hamon, Carrboro, So. - 19:37 PR for 5k, ran 11:52 which was good for 2nd place at the 2A state meet, PR of 5:34 for 1600m
2) Gracie Turner, Lincolnton, So. - 19:45 PR for 5k, ran 5:30 at 2A state meet which was good for 5th place
3) Ashley Kale, Bandys, Sr. - finished 5th in the 3200m at the 2A state meet, 19:58 PR, 12:16 & 5:37 PRs on the track
4) Katherine Shields, Salisbury, Jr. - ran 20:01 last year, placed 4th in the 1600 and 7th in the 3200 at 2A state meet, PRs of 5:30 and 12:30
5) Zatha Loewen, Topsail, Sr. - have to include her as she is a 2-time 1A state champion, last XC season ran 20:15, but has 19:22, 5:29 1600m PR
Honorable Mentions: Jodie Lemons, South Stokes; Cynthia Griffin, Madison; Catie Byrd, North Henderson; Amanda Hinson, Piedmont; Kelsey Davis, Topsail
2A Boys
Chase Miller of Wilkes Central has the 3rd fastest returning time for XC, but he had a great track seaon. Chase won both the 1600 and 3200 at the 2A state meet and that definitely makes him the early favorite for this coming XC season. Ben Sterett of Swansboro placed 2nd at last year's state meet but had a tough outdoor season. He has seemed to gain some form this summer, but my vote goes to Chase Miller as of right now.
1) Chase Miller, Wilkes Central, Sr. - 16:39 PR, ran 4:29 to win the 2A 1600m and has a PR of 9:40 for 3200m
2) Ben Sterett, Swansboro, Sr. - 2nd at last year's 2A state XC meet, has a PR of 16:05 from very fast Jungle Run, ran 16:28 on Tanglewood, 9:50 PR for 3200m
3) John Spencer Wolfe, Polk County, Jr. - 16:57 PR for 5k, has won 800, 1000, and 1600m state titles as a 9th and 10th grader, look for him to add XC to the list soon enough
4) Aaron Combs, Starmount, ? - finished 2nd in the 800m at states in 1:54, normally a sprinter/mid-distance guy, saw Aaron at a recent 5k where he won in 17:14, maybe his first 5k?, he'll be a definite factor should he run
5) Nick Summers, Salisbury, Sr. - Salisbury has potential to be very good this season, only has a PR of 17:49, but ran 4:34 which was good for 2nd place at the 2A state meet, I'm predicting improvement
Honorable Mentions: Philip Tonseth, Salisbury; Cesar Reyes, West Caldwell; Jamar Davis, Richlands; Ryan Wallace, First Flight; Greg Kielar, East Lincoln
1A Girls 
Circumstances has made this race much more interesting over the past month or so. Two of the favorites, Faith Trammell and Kristen Stout have both been sidelined. Faith had to have knee surgery and Kristen had a nagging hip injury that kept her in the pool. The 1A girls race is going to be an interesting one, and I'm going to assume that Faith can't come back to full strength after surgery and not as much training as she would have liked. So, I'm going to go with Carol Blankenship of East Wilkes for the win. She did have a successful track season, so if she continues to build, she'll be tough to beat.
1) Carol Blankenship, East Wilkes, Jr. - PR of 19:31 for 5k, won the Midwest Regional last year, 3rd place in both the 800 and 1600 at the 1A state meet, 2:25 & 5:25 personal bests
2) Kristen Stout, Hendersonville, Jr. - 19:35 PR for 5k, 1A 1600m state champ, 11:39 & 5:20 personal bests on the track
3) Faith Trammell, Robbinsville, Sr. - ran 18:48 this summer prior to knee surgery, won the 1A state title i the 3200 with a time of 11:49
4) Frances Dougherty, NCSSM, Sr. - after somewhat of a down XC season, she's back, ran 5:25 & 12:03 at state meet, good for 4th and 2nd respectively, has a 19:28 PR for 5k
5) Meredith Bennett, Bishop McGuinness, Sr. -19:45 PR at FL South, ran 5:33 and 12:12 on the track, finished 3rd in 3200m last year
Honorable Mentions: Mary Chesnut Smith, Avery; Mackenzie Neighbors, Raleigh Charter; Hunter Latimer, Gray Stone Day; Callie Turlington, NCSSM; Tacey Trammell, Robbinsville
1A Boys
I'm not really sure who to pick here. This may be like the girl's 4A and just too tough to even choose one. Tyler Breedlove of Hayesville is a talented runner who went under 10:00 last season. Matus Kriska of Mount Airy was 2nd in the 1600, running 4:30 and won the 3200m in 9:57. I'm going to go with Matus first on my list since he won the 3200, even if it was only by 2 seconds.
1) Matus Kriska, Mount Airy, Jr. - ran 9:57 for the 3200 state title and has a 1600m best of 4:27, has a PR of 17:07 and finished 6th at last year's 1A state XC meet
2) Tyler Breedlove, Hayesville, Jr. - finished 2nd to Matus in 9:59 at the state meet, was 3rd at last year's XC state meet & has a PR of 16:53
3) Dalton Wally, Gray Stone Day, Sr. - was 3rd at the state meet in the 3200m in 10:08, was 4th last year at states and has a PR of 17:09
4) Sean Kluttz, South Stanly, Sr. - 17:17 at FL South, huge 800 time at the state meet as he finished 2nd in 1:55, more of an 800 specialist, but can easily bring that to the 5k
5) Thomas O'Connell, Hendersonville, Sr. - 17:17 5k PR, placed in top 7 of the 1600 and the 800 at the state meet, PR's of 2:02, 4:39, & 10:29
Honorable Mentions: Robert Vinson, Hayesville; JJ Leplante, West Wilkes; Alex Thompson, South Stanly; Tyler Massey, Robbinsville; Brian Walls, Chatham Central
3A Independent Girls
The NCISAA 3A girls have 3 returning that have broken 19:00, this may be the first time this has ever been the case. Maegan Whiting of North Raleigh Christian looks to have the most strength, but that doesn't always mean she'll be the fastest over 5k. Kameron Spence of Charlotte Latin ran 18:36 last year at McAlpine, but lost to Maegan and her teammate Haylee Dawe at the state meet. Maegan gets the nod here because of her performance at the state meet last year.
1) Maegan Whiting, North Raleigh Christian, Sr. - placed 2nd at the state XC meet last year in 18:44, has a PR of 11:33 for 3200m and was 2nd in the 3200m at states as well
2) Haylee Dawe, Charlotte Latin, Jr. - has the 2nd fastest returning time on her own team, but placed 3rd at last year's state XC meet in 18:55, has PR's of 5:25 and 11:49 on the track, 18:51 at McAlpine
3) Kameron Spence, Charlotte Latin, Jr. - ran 18:36 and won the CISAA title last year, was 4th at the state XC champs in 19:01, has PR's of 5:16, 2:21, & 11:41
4) Maya Dillard, Rabun-Gap, Fr. - didn't run XC last year, but ran 5:28 outdoors in the 1600m as an 8th grader, I'm going to assume she runs XC
5) Sarah Blankhead, Greensboro Day, So. - finished 6th last year at the state meet in 19:34, didn't put down the same quality of times outdoors, but her 6th place finish earned her this spot
Honorable Mentions: Emily Holway, Providence Day; Erin O'Connor, Durham Academy; Ally Finical, Charlotte Latin; Maggie Gigler, Providence Day; Hollis Lineberger, Forsyth Country Day
3A Independent Boys
Thomas Graham of Cary Academy is the returning state meet champion. He also has the top returning 5k time among all NC athletes heading into the 2009 XC season. With that said, he'll get the top spot for the NCISAA. However, Carl & Fred Ward from Durham Academy and Scott Foy from Charlotte Country Day may be able to give him a run for his money.
1) Thomas Graham, Cary Academy, So. - state champ last year and ran 15:37 at FL South, top 9th grader in the region, #8 returner in the South, ran 4:24 & 9:35 outdoors this season, ran those times while sick
2) Fred Ward, Durham Academy, Jr. - won the 3200m at the state meet in 9:26, 16:22 at state XC meet last year, again, not completely healthy, but finished 2nd nonetheless
3) Carl Ward, Durham Academy, Jr. - finished 2nd in the 1600m in 4:24, ran 16:33 at state XC meet finishing 4th overall
4) Scott Foy, Charlotte Country Day, Jr. - had a spectacular track season, winning both the 800 & 1600 at the state meet, also ran 15:51 on the track for 5k, PR is 16:13 from FL South meet last year
5) Erik Kraus, Durham Academy, Sr. - 3 in the top 5 is definitely doable for DA this season, placed 8th last year at the state meet, has a 4:33 PR in the 1600m
Honorable Mentions: Reid Palmer, Charlotte Country Day; Drew Thompson, Wesleyan; Tim Gruber, Cannon School; Chase Shermer, North Raleigh Christian; Michael Cunningham, Durham Academy
1A/2A Independent Girls
Taylor Dunn of Caldwell Academy hasn't stopped racing . . . and she's racing well. She has continued to run Junior Olympic races all summer and has continued to run personal bests. Hopefully this pays off and she will approach the season with a lot of confidence. Will she be tired? Who knows, but I can tell you she should be the favorite to win the girls 1A/2A Independent state title . . . again.
1) Taylor Dunn, Caldwell Academy, Jr. - won the state title last year in 19:14, then won the 800m, 1600m and 3200m state titles outdoors, has PR's of 12:13, 5:25, & 2:25
2) Bethany Spano, Southlake Christian, So. - finished 3rd last year in 19:39 at the state meet, but won the state title as an 8th grader, she'll be in the mix, didn't run track
3) Whitney Thornburg, Asheville Christian, Jr. - placed 4th at last year's state meet in 19:53, did not run track
4) Rebekah Page, Caldwell Academy, So. - won the 400m and finished 2nd in the 800m at the state track meet, placed 5th at last year's state XC meet in 20:00
5) Laura Floyd, Fayetteville Academy, Jr. - was 6th last year at the state meet in 20:08, placed 4th in both the 1600m and 3200m at the state track meet
Honorable Mentions: Claire Council, Westchester Country Day; Audrea Holmes, Cary Christian; Mandi Struble, Asheville Christian; Lauren Stephenson, Village Christian Academy
1A/2A Independent Boys
Bobby Mintz of Cary Christian is the favorite for this year's state championship. Bobby gathered up a number of state titles last year which makes him the early favorite this season. He won the state XC title with a time of 16:22, then won the 1600m in 4:29.54, and finally finished 2nd in the 3200m in 10:02. There will be a few hot on his heels, as the 2nd and 3rd place finishers from last year both return . . . for the next two years.
1) Bobby Mintz, Cary Christian, Jr. - last years 1A/2A NCISAA state champ in 16:22, ran an impressive 4:29 to win the 1600m title, too
2) Scott Morgan, Calvery Baptist, Jr. - was 2nd by 1 second last year to Bobby Mintz, 16:23 at states, 16:22 at FL south, did not run track
3) Robert Maughan, Fayetteville Academy, Jr. - finished 3rd last year at the state XC champs in 16:30, won the 3200m in 9:59, ran 9:17 this summer for 3,000
4) Josh Crawford, Fayetteville Christian, So. - finished 9th last year at XC state meet, 16:47 PR at FL South meet, finished 2nd in both the 800 & 1600m at the state meet, ran 4:35 as a 9th grader
5) Trevor Sleight, Carolina Day, Fr. - was 13th last year as an 8th grader, finished 3rd in 3200m at state meet, PR's of 10:27, 17:38, & 5:02, looks to get better with distance, good tradition at Carolina Day
Honorable Mentions: James Dawson, Fayetteville Academy; Carl Ivaarson, Fayetteville Academy; Jon Stallings, Cresset Christian; Taylor Christianson, Westchester Country Day; Conor Flater, High Point Christian