Valdez to Lead Camarillo in Cross-Country Finals

Teams from Camarillo, Nordhoff and Moorpark highs qualified for the state cross country championships to be held Nov. 28 at Woodward Park in Fresno.

The Camarillo boys qualified for the Division I, or large schools, championship race by placing third among 4-A Division teams last Saturday at the Southern Section divisional championships at Mt. San Antonio College.

Abe Valdez placed 15th in 15 minutes, 55 seconds over the three-mile course and Erik Counseller was 21st in 16:07 to lead the Scorpions.

Tami Dobel of Nordhoff placed in the top 10 in the 2-A Division for the fourth consecutive year, finishing 10th with a time of 19:15. The Nordhoff girls team finished eighth in the 2-A Division to qualify for the Division II championships.

The Moorpark girls team qualified fourth for the Division III championships by placing sixth in the 1-A Division. Sisters Pam and April Beaver finished 18th and 19th, respectively, for Moorpark. Pam was timed in 21:36, and April was right behind in 21:37.

The Moorpark boys team did not qualify for the divisional finals, but brothers Ricky and Alfredo DeLeon placed in the top 10.

Ricky was sixth in the 1-A Division in 16:09. Alfredo was 10th in 16:31. Both qualified for the individual championships in Division III.

Mike Esparza of Newbury Park, who fell after being tripped in the first quarter-mile of the boys 4-A race, rallied from the back of the pack to finish fourth in 15:34, but he failed to qualify for the state meet.