Sutton Takes a Run at 3rd Championship

First impressions of Newbury Park High’s Melissa Sutton can be misleading.

Away from athletics, she gives the impression of being friendly but shy, the kind of teen-ager who never speaks out of turn, who always raises her hand in class and who never speaks unkindly about anyone else.

When she races, however, the shy smile disappears into a competitive grimace.

Simi Valley Coach Tom King, who was an assistant at Newbury Park until this season, may have summarized Sutton best when he said, “If you sit down and talk to her, you see this mild-mannered kid. But you watch her out on the course and she’s an animal.”

Her streak bears witness to that.

She has won 12 consecutive cross-country races this season and set course records in her first 10. She broke the 10 course records by an average of 48 seconds.

During the streak, her average margin of victory has been 77 seconds, or roughly a quarter of a mile. Her smallest margin of victory has been 27 seconds.

When she reaches the starting line for the Southern Section championships on Saturday morning at Mt. San Antonio College, Sutton will be attempting to win an unprecedented third straight 4-A title and break the girls three-mile course record of 17:16 set by Palos Verde’s Kirsten O’Hara in 1983.

“She’s really been phenomenal,” said Thousand Oaks cross-country Coach Jack Farrell, whose daughter, Christy, runs at Thousand Oaks. “No one’s been able to stay with her.

“Melissa has run so well that she makes someone like Christy, who’s probably one of the top 30 or 40 high school runners in the country, look like a very average runner.”

Although the 10 course records have surprised even Sutton, her mastery of cross-country is nothing new.

The 5-6 1/2, 119-pound senior is the two-time defending Southern Section 4-A cross-country champion.

In 1984, she placed seventh at the Kinney West Regionals and qualified for the national championships. Last year she improved to second at the West Regionals and was the top West Coast finisher with her sixth-place effort at the national championships in San Diego.

She attributes her success this season to many factors.

“I ran 50 miles a week last summer and it’s really paid off,” she said. “I feel very strong during the races this year.

“Running up the hills seems easier to me.”

Good health has also helped. Unlike the 1985 cross-country season, when she was slowed by sickness, Sutton has had only one minor cold and no injuries this year.

“That’s so important in having a good season,” she explained. “When you’re healthy you can train consistently, which leads to confidence and consistency in races.”

Farrell, her Marmonte League rival, finished second in the 1984 and third in the 1985 4-A championships. She echoed Sutton’s sentiments.

“I think one of the keys to this season has been her health. She hasn’t been sick or injured.”

Hard training and good health alone, however, don’t guarantee success in distance running. Mental toughness and confidence are as essential to great performances as physical conditioning.

“I’m more confident than I’ve been in the past,” Sutton said. “I’ve just matured. I’m a year older and I really want to make my senior season the best one yet.”

Newbury Park cross-country Coach Mike Stewart agreed. “She’s definitely more confident,” he said. “I think some of it has to do with her being a year older and some of it stems from the fact that she’s racing so well.”

Jack Farrell said that Sutton’s improved confidence is evident in her racing tactics. “Last year, she never led races. She would sit back in the early stages of the race and then surge in the second half. I think she was capable of running from the front then but she just didn’t have the confidence in herself.

“Now that she’s got that confidence, she’s not afraid to push the pace from the start.”

Said Buena High cross-country Coach Steve Blum: “She’s a front-runner now. And that’s a direct result of her confidence.”

Sutton’s mother, Ellie, said her daughter’s victory at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational track meet in April served as a catalyst. “Before then, she had always been a little tentative about her ability, but that race proved to her that she could beat the top runners.”

Stewart feels that Sutton’s determination and dedication are as important as her confidence. “She’s a very determined young lady,” he said. “She knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to work for it.

“My biggest concern with Melissa is keeping her healthy. I don’t have to worry about motivating her, she does that herself.”

Sutton’s affection for cross-country is another reason for her success.

Many distance runners compete in cross-country mainly to get in shape for track. Sutton doesn’t.

She enjoys cross-country more than track even though she won the Southern Section 4-A championships and placed fifth in the 1986 state meet at 3,200 meters. She has run 10:29.96 for that distance as well as a 4:58.9 mile in a distance-medley relay.

“It’s not that I don’t like track,” she said. “It’s just that I feel more comfortable in cross-country. A lot of times track races feel like a sprint to me. I feel more in control in cross-country.”

Being in control is one of the dominant characteristics of Sutton’s personality.

“She takes after her daddy,” Ellie said. “She’s a very hard worker with a low-key, laid-back personality.

“She doesn’t get excited very easily and downplays her accomplishments.”

Stewart agreed, “She’s one of the most humble kids you’ll ever meet.

“She gets along great with everyone. She doesn’t walk around with her nose up in the air. She’s the type of person who never mentions her running when she talks to others.”

Stewart added that her improved confidence has made her more outgoing.

“She’s not as shy as she use to be, especially with people she’s just met,” he said. “She jokes around a lot more and is more relaxed around people she doesn’t know.”

This was evident when a reporter interviewed Sutton for the first time following her victory at the Ventura County Championships on Oct. 17.

When asked why she got involved in running, Sutton answered jokingly, “I love to eat. And as long as I run I can eat like a pig and not have to worry about getting fat.”

Actually, Sutton’s father Cliff introduced her to running at age 7. By the time she was 10, she won a Junior Olympic West Regional cross-country title in Las Vegas.

A fine all-around athlete, Sutton concentrated on tennis for three years before tiring of the sport. She played soccer at Newbury Park in the fall semester of her freshman year, then ran track in the spring.

Sutton’s enjoyment of running has matched her improvement since.

“I really enjoy the competition and being in shape,” she said. “It feels great.”

One aspect of running that Sutton doesn’t enjoy is being the favorite.

“I don’t like being considered No. 1,” she said. “I like to think of myself as the underdog. If I think I’m better than everyone else I’ll get beat. I feel like I have to respect everyone I run against to race well.”

Sutton admits that she doesn’t thrive on pressure. That’s why she sets few goals for herself.

“My only goal before this season was to run well,” she said. “I don’t set goals based on times or titles because that puts too much pressure on yourself.

“She never thinks farther ahead than the next race,” Cliff said. “She really gets annoyed with us if we talk about a race that’s more than a week away.”

Although Sutton is serious about running, she doesn’t have a one-track mind.

“Academics is her No. 1 priority,” Ellie said. “Running is secondary. She was up until one o’clock in the morning studying the night before the Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley meet.

“She frequently spends four or five hours a night studying,” Cliff said. “Sometimes we have to ask her to put away the books and go to bed.”

But the hard work has been worth it. Sutton’s 4.0 grade-point average combined with her running talent make her a very attractive athlete to most of the country’s major universities. She lists Stanford, Cal and Arizona as some of the schools which have contacted her.

And though she is generally looking forward to college, Sutton does have reservations. “I’ve always received great support from my family and I’ll miss them a lot if I move away,” she said.

“A runner couldn’t ask for better parents. They’re very understanding and supportive of me. And that makes running easier.

“We’ve always encouraged her but never pressured her,” Cliff said. “I’ve seen too many good athletes destroyed by overzealous parents.”

That isn’t likely to happen to Sutton. The only destruction will be of course records, one race at a time.

MELISSA SUTTON’S RECORD-BREAKING STREAK

A RUN OF 10 STRAIGHT RACES IN WHICH SHE TOPPED THE COURSE RECORD

Date Event Site Distance Sept. 6 Santa Barbara Classic UCSB 3 miles Sept. 13 Woodbridge Invitational Irvine 3 miles Sept. 18 Double dual meet Westlake 3 miles Sept. 27 Agoura Invitational Paramount Ranch 3 miles Oct. 2 Dual meet vs. Camarillo Newbury Park 3 miles Oct. 4 Kenny Staub Invitational Crescenta Valley 3 miles Oct. 9 Dual meet vs. Royal Royal 3 miles Oct. 11 Coyote Invitational Buena Park 5,000 meters Oct. 17 Ventura Championships Moorpark 3 miles Oct. 23 Double dual meet Cal Lutheran 3 miles

Margin Sutton’s Previous Date of Victory Time Record Sept. 6 1:52 16:59 17:39 Sept. 13 0:48 17:01 17:39 Sept. 18 1:21 17:22 18:21 Sept. 27 1:28 17:31 19:52 Oct. 2 1:49 17:04 17:28 Oct. 4 1:07 17:31 18:04 Oct. 9 2:56 18:34 19:10 Oct. 11 1:50 16:51 17:45 Oct. 17 0:34.5 17:26.5 17:58 Oct. 23 0:27 17:51 18:09