11.   And they were expected to be strong contenders for Seattle second baseman Bret Boone, but that scenario has yet to develop.

12.   And to that, the Yankees have emerged as a strong contender to acquire Sheffield in a prospect package headed by Alfonso Soriano, sources said.

13.   Anderson is a strong contender, but Lahti turned in terrific, consistent performances.

14.   Arroyo said committee members have no candidates in mind, but acknowledged that Negroni would be a strong contender.

15.   A consistently strong contender, he has been a state semifinalist three of the past five years, defeating Tiger Woods one year.

16.   A dean at the University of Chicago hospital has emerged as a strong contender to become the next chief executive of CareGroup Inc.

17.   A half-dozen senators have been seen as strong contenders for the post.

18.   Both won gold medals at the Pan Am Games and are strong contenders for the U.S. Olympic team.

19.   But beyond that the crystal ball gets murky, with many categories having at least two strong contenders and sometimes more.

20.   China, Denmark, South Korea and England are other strong contenders and surprisingly, American Kevin Han has become the first world-ranked U.S. badminton player.