21.  As in every Giants game this season, a chief goal will be to gain the early lead.

22.  As the defending champ, Mrs. Clinton has an early lead in the polls.

23.  As dawn broke in the first hour of competition, the United States took early leads in its first three matches.

24.  As the polls closed Tuesday night, Bush jumped out to an early lead.

25.  ASU jumped out to an early lead and not surprisingly, it was Moreno, a walking spark plug, who got things going with a home run.

26.  As with its MPSF tourney first-round win over UCLA, USC capitalized on an early lead.

27.  Banshee Breeze loped along easily, while Glitter Woman inherited the early lead from the missing speed horses.

28.  Biota Holdings, a tiny Australian medical research firm, jumped to an early lead with a drug named Zanamivir.

29.  Bobby Witt has taken the early lead among his fellow vagabonds who made headlines in baseball the past six weeks.

30.  Both runners scored on a double by Gary Gaetti, giving the Cubs an early lead.