Cabrillo's boys won the Los Padres League championship in 2007. Morro Bay took it in 2008.

"We wanted it back," said Cabrillo junior Joel Velazquez.

The Conquistadores got it back.

Velazquez ran second behind winner James Shipe of Morro Bay on the three-mile River Park course in Lompoc Wednesday. Velazquez and Levi Block (third place) led their team to victory at the Los Padres League Finals.

The top four boys teams and top four girls squads earned automatic berths to the CIF Southern Section Preliminaries that take place Nov. 14 at Mt. San Antonio College.

Shipe ran 15:30. Velazquez ran a 15:42. Block came in at 15:48. Santa Maria senior Israel Ruvalcaba finished fourth, also in 15:48.

Velazquez said the Conquistadores ditched their customary pack running strategy.

"We wanted to run in two groups of three, but Morro Bay is so good it was just too hard," the junior said. "It was every man for himself."

Cabrillo, Morro Bay, Santa Maria and Lompoc all earned berths in the CIF Southern Section Preliminaries which take place at Mt. San Antonio College Nov. 14.

Cabrillo's boys scored 34 points to runner-up Morro Bay's 47. The Conquistadores won the league championship with 18 points in the final league standings to Morro Bay's 14.

Santa Maria finished third in the seven-team field with 92 points Wednesday. Lompoc was fourth with 131. The Saints (13 points) and Braves (eight) finished third and fourth respectively in the standings.

Templeton sophomore Savannah Camacho won the girls race in 18:25. St. Joseph junior Quetta Peinado was runner-up in 18:31. Lompoc senior Ashley Fabing ran third in 18:45.

Shipe and Camacho repeated as LPL individual champions. Rachael Jelstrom led the victorious Morro Bay girls team. She finished fourth. Peinado and Santa Ynez senior Monica Illes (fifth place) qualified as individuals for the CIF SS prelims.

Ruvalcaba didn't seem to care that the Saints slipped from second to third in the standings. "We're moving on," he said. Santa Maria went to the CIF prelims last year.

The Morro Bay, Cabrillo, Templeton and Lompoc girls advanced. Morro Bay won the meet Wednesday with 64 points and the league title with 17.

Cabrillo, led by Karina Rich (10th place) was second Wednesday with 70 points, Templeton was third with 72 and Lompoc was fourth with 78.

Lompoc, in fifth place going in, overtook St. Joseph for fourth place. St. Joseph was fifth Wednesday with 83 points.

Cabrillo and Templeton tied for second place in the standings. The Conquistadores advance as the second LPL team because of its better placing in the league finals.

Fabing ran another personal best in what has been a big senior season for her.

"I ran a big PR," she said with a smile. "I'm very happy with the way I've been running. This is the right way to go out my senior cross country season."

Cabrillo's Matt Johnson led a 1-5 Cabrillo boys finish and won the boys junior varsity race in 16:33. Teammates Nico Avila, Tevin Shems, Johnny Hernandez and Joey Pogue followed. Cabrillo easily won the team title.

Carina Hampp of Morro Bay took the girls JV race in 21:19. Mystique Tyler of Cabrillo was the runner-up.

See Page D-3 for a list of team leaders and All-LPL members.