Well, actually, it wasn't of his own doing. A false start and a disqualification at the beginning of the boys' 110-meter hurdles left all the runners a tad antsy.
"I was a little soft at the start of the race," he said. "We were all a little scared after what happened. Nobody wanted another false start."
Despite the limitations, the Agoura High senior continues to excel. Cabral broke his own league and meet record set a year ago by zipping home in 13.51 to win the hurdles at the Marmonte League Track and Field Championships at Moorpark High on Friday evening.
In his final race against Marmonte competition, Cabral defended his title in the 300 hurdles with a clocking of 38.62.
Cabral, a double CIF-SS champion as a junior, thinks hecan go faster. In fact, he intends to go faster.
"There's lot of room for improvement, beginning with the start I had today," he said. "I can run faster."
In his target are double championships at the CIF State meet, and state and national records while doing it.
"The national record is 13.3," he said. "That's what I want."
Cabral wasn't the only athlete demonstrating prowess in the league's individual championships.
Simi Valley senior Matthew Ringgold won three individual titles, taking the 100-meter dash in 11.04, the 200 in 22.52 and the long jump in 21-feet, 11 inches.
For Ringgold, these were emotional triumphs. He dedicated the victories to his close friend Amanda Shoemaker, who died in a train accident two years ago.
"This was for her," he said. "I thought about her the whole time."
Ringgold had to rally in the final 50 meters of the 100 to catch Newbury Park's Codie Conway (11.18).
"I was confident that I had enough to get it done," said Ringgold, who was undefeated in both the 100 and 200 during the league's duel-meet season.
Simi Valley freshman standout Sarah Baxter had a big day in her first league varsity finals.
She won the 1,600 in a season-best 4:57.63, and won her specialty 3,200 in 10:38.09. She already has the top freshman time in the 3,200 in the nation.
Baxter was pleased most by her clocking in the 1,600.
"I wanted to get under five minutes today, so I feel really good about that," she said. "The competition is so good in this meet that I'm happy to win."
Happy winners were a common theme.
Thousand Oaks junior Tommy Lopez captured his first individual league championship by taking the 1,600 in 4:21.56.
"I was hoping (to win)," he said. "I was able to run my race: go all out to stay on the pace and bring it home at the end. It's a good feeling."
Newbury Park junior Terry Pagano won the boys' 400 as a freshman, but missed last year's meet with mononucleosis.
For good measure, he was battling an Achilles heel strain in his right ankle, and a slight ankle sprain in his left ankle.
""Nothing was going to stop me today," he said. "No matter what it took, I wanted to be out there. I'm pleased me and my buddy (Bryan Avendano) were able to go 1-2."
Other notable winners, among the boys, were Simi Valley's Michael Vorgitch who used a closing rush in the 3,200 to post a 9:34.71 and nip second-place Marco Godinez of Thousand Oaks (5:34.93).
In the 800, Sean Grumney of Newbury Park won his second successive league title with a time of 1:54.91.
For the girls, Kristen Sper won the 100 hurdles in a notable time of 15.44; Morgan Thompson of Newbury Park won the 400 in 56.91, freshman Brook Edell of Westlake took the 100 in 12.42 and Caitlin Turner of Thousand Oaks won the 800 in 2:16.18.
