For a time, close to the start of the season, there was uncertainty of who was going to coach the Buena High boys' cross country team.

Former coach Rob Lewis had left for an administrative post and, as of late August, no replacement had been selected.

How the team would react to a new face on the eve of the season to a different person holding the clipboard with workout plans was the big question.

Quite well, it seems.

Thanks to a familiar face — girls' coach Michelle Burns — and Wendy Dowler in the leadership roles, Buena has emerged as one of the area's breakthrough teams of the season.

Its third-place finish at the Ventura County Championships last Friday at Lake Casitas was another testament to the Buena program that has been right in step with Ventura, one of the state's top 10-ranked Division I teams, three times.

The two teams meet again at the Channel League finals Thursday at Camino Real Park.

"A new person could have changed the team's dynamics," said Burns. "Any time that you come on as a coach, there are issues that come up.

"There weren't any with this group."

Burns inherited a veteran team led by seniors Isidore Herrera and Marc Martinez plus juniors Chris Frias and Morgan Ryan.

"They really love to race," said Burns.

That has been evident with performances through the first two months of the season. Improved times by a minute or more across the board have been consistent.

At the second Channel League meet at Arroyo Verde Park recently, Buena had the second-fastest team time on that course in finishing second to Ventura.

"I was blown away by that," said Burns. "Because of the course, you're not expecting Arroyo Verde to be one of your fastest times."

The team has focused on being the first Buena team to reach the state championships since 1991, when it placed fifth in the Division I race.

"We knew that there was a good team coming into the season," said Burns. "The improvements that I have seen are impressive.

"I knew that Isidore had put in the time over the summer. Chris is aggressive and not afraid to run up front. It took a while for Morgan Ryan to make the transition from being a top level bike racer in the summer to racing cross country."

League tuneup: Warming up for a possible run at the program's first Pacific View League championship, Hueneme was sixth in the girls' final.

The Vikings had three runners in the top 30: Liz Robles, 12th; Miriam Hernandez (24th) and Alex Gambala, 26th. They were seperated by 33 seconds.

Place adjustment: Mount San Antonio College Invitational officials have corrected Newbury Park's finish in its race on Oct. 20.

The Panthers were upgraded from eighth to fourth in the team standings.

It appears officials misplaced the finishing tag for Steven Bradley, who was fourth. Newbury Park improved its team points by 63 in the exchange.