Cabrillo/s boys varsity squad scored its expected runaway win.

Morro Bay/s girls won a three-way battle royal that may have been unexpected.

&#8221We just really work on running in a pack with our first six,B Morro Bay senior Kim Canete said after her team beat Cabrillo and Lompoc by a point each at the Los Padres League Mid-Season meet at Waller Park Wednesday.

&#8221We try not to let each other out of our sight.B The Pirates/ strategy worked. Canete led Morro Bay with a fourth-place finish as Morro Bay edged Cabrillo 27-28 and Lompoc 28-29.

Cabrillo/s girls were second Wednesday. The Conquistadores beat third-place Lompoc 27-29. Morro Bay/s girls edged Lompoc because the Pirates/ sixth runner, Heidi Keas, and seventh finisher, Erin Riley, both finished ahead of the Braves/ fifth runner.

Cabrillo seniors won the boys and girls varsity races by large margins over the 3.1 mile course. Michael Coe took the boys race in 15:43. Tarah Balden won the girls race in 19:16.

The Cabrillo boys remained unbeaten in 2005.

Teams scored a point for each team they beat in the eight-squad meet. Scoring followed a dual meet format. At the league finals at Waller Park Oct. 26, teams will get two points for each squad they defeat.

St. Joseph hosted the Mid-Season meet and will host the finals.

Girls team records Wednesday were Morro Bay 7-0; Cabrillo 6-1; Lompoc 5-2; Santa Maria 4-3; St. Joseph, Santa Ynez and Nipomo all 2-5; and Pioneer Valley 0-7.

Boys team records Wednesday were Cabrillo 7-0; Morro Bay 6-1; Lompoc 5-2; Santa Maria and Nipomo both 3-4; St. Joseph and Pioneer Valley both 1-6; and Santa Ynez 0-7.

&#8221I think we got a little bit lucky today,B said veteran Morro Bay boys and girls coach Cary Nerelli. &#8221I don/t think Cabrillo and Lompoc were looking at us, and I think we managed to slide by them.

&#8221This sets up a very exciting league finals at this very course. I/m sure Cabrillo/s and Lompoc/s girls will be highly motivated 7 but so will our girls.B

There are three guaranteed LPL boys and girls spots for the CIF Southern Section Preliminary Meet. Morro Bay/s boys finished a solid second Wednesday. Lompoc beat Santa Maria by a point for third place.

Coe led a 1-2-3-5 Cabrillo showing. Colin Hacker ran second in 15:58. Miguel Ortiz was third in 16:05, and Oscar Torres ran fifth in 16:20. Junior Julio Ortega of St. Joseph finished fourth in 16:19.

&#8221I/m actually very proud of Julio,B said St. Joseph coach Greg Sarkisian. &#8221That was the first time anybody/s been able to displace any of their top five guys.

&#8221That was a fast time for him on that course, and in only his second race this year.B

Coe, checking his watch frequently, jogged across the finish line.

&#8221I was totally relaxed,B Coe said. &#8221I/ve been totally relaxed for the last month. I really like where I/m at now.

&#8221I/ve been injury free the last several months. Last year I ran 15:39 on this course, and I was pushing as hard as I could. This time I felt like I had another minute in me.B

Balden finished fifth in the 2004 LPL FInals. She scored an impressive win Wednesday, finishing far ahead of 2004 LPL champion Daina Tubbs of St. Joseph and >04 runner-up Liza Truax of Santa Ynez. Carrie Fabing of Lompoc was the runner-up in 19:34. Truax ran third in 19:39. Tubbs finished 10th in 20:2.

Balden was part of a lead pack at the mile mark that included Fabing, Truax, Tubbs and Santa Maria freshman Oyuki Reyes. Reyes finished seventh in 19:55.

&#8221I was running with Liza, and then I decided I didn/t want that,B said Balden. So she picked up her pace.

&#8221I just wanted to see if she would go with me, and she didn/t go with me,B Balden said.

Lompoc/s Stephanie Fabing (19:49) and Lexie Warrick (19:53) finished fifth and sixth respectively in the girls race. Cabrillo/s Alexa Heater finished eighth in 20:01. Katlin Baumgartner of Morro Bay was ninth in 20:16.

Oscar Sanchez of Santa Maria finished sixth in 16:31 in the boys race. Ryan Jelstrom of Morro Bay finished seventh.

Balden won a LPL Mid Season meet for the first time. She has run the Waller Park course a few times, and her opinion of it hasn/t changed.

&#8221I hate it. It/s all grass, and I hate grass.B As for her time, &#8221I (ran my personal best) on the course by a minute.B

Steven Martin led Lompoc/s boys with a 12th-place finish in 17:02. Rocky Herrera led Pioneer Valley/s boys, finishing 13th in 17:06. Ryan Bolton led Nipomo, placing 23rd in 17:40.

Alex Caruso was the first Nipomo girl home. She was 22nd in 21:46.

Elida Gonzales of Santa Maria won the junior varsity girls race in 22:00. Morro bay/s Kenyon Moothart won the boys JV race in 17:43.

Morro Bay/s boys and girls are on track for another CIF berth. Nerelli has been coaching cross country at the school since 1978. The boys have made it to the state meet every year but one since then. The girls have made it to the CIF Finals every year since that time.

Sports writer Kenny Cress can be reached at 739-2237 or by e-mail at kcress@santamariatimes.com