National Prep Cross-Country Meet : Sutton Finishes 23rd, Dameworth 19th in Kinney Championships

Newbury Park’s Melissa Sutton ended her season Saturday with a disappointing 23rd place at the Kinney national cross-country championships in San Diego.

Agoura freshman Bryan Dameworth was 19th in the boys race.

Sutton, who had won an unprecedented third straight Southern Section 4-A title in November, had her first sub-par effort of the season.

She had finished sixth at the national championships in 1985 and was in eighth place at the mile mark Saturday but faded in the last two miles. Her time of 18:20.4 over the 5,000-meter course was a minute slower than the 17:20.6 she ran last year.

Erin Keogh of Langley High in McLean, Va., won her second consecutive Kinney title with a 16:55.7.

Dameworth ran with his usual tactics, pushing the early pace and passing the mile mark in 4:40. Eventual winner and hometown favorite Marc Davis of San Diego High broke open the race after the 1-mile mark and won with 14:38.1.

Dameworth, who had become the first freshman ever to qualify for the boys national championships, narrowly missed qualifying for the high school All-American team.

The top fifteen finishers make the All-American team and Dameworth’s 15:28.6 was just four seconds behind David Scudamore of Palos Verdes, who finished 15th.