Dameworth Dashes to Another Title : Stretch Drive Carries Agoura Junior to Second Consecutive State Cross-Country Crown

As far as Agoura High’s Bryan Dameworth is concerned, there is only one strategy involved in cross-country: Get to the front and stay there.

The Charger junior is very vocal about his distaste for running tactical races. In fact, “hate” is a good adjective to describe his attitude about running in a pack.

Except when the race is the state Division I cross-country championships at Woodward Park in Fresno. Then Dameworth is willing to let others push the early pace while he bides his time in the pack.

He used that tactic Saturday to hold off Mike Williamson of Thousand Oaks and Jimmy Rodriguez of Santa Ana Valley in the final 500 meters and win his second consecutive state Division I title. In last year’s inaugural state championships, he outkicked Goshu Tadese of Crawford High in San Diego and David Scudamore of Palos Verdes.

High schools with 1,600 or more students compete in Division I.

Dana Hills, second to Arroyo in last year’s state meet, won the team title with 91 points to the 124 of runner-up Rowland. Poway of San Diego (128), Camarillo (141) and De La Salle of Concord (174) rounded out the top 5.

“The race went pretty much how I hoped it would,” said Dameworth, who ran 15 minutes, 3 seconds over the 5,000-meter course. “I thought some of the other guys would take out the early pace, and they did.”

Kevin Holbrook of Vacaville, the individual sweepstakes champion at the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational in Walnut in October, and Williamson, winner of the team sweepstakes race in the same meet, shared the lead after a mile--reached in 4:39--while Martin Morales of Wilson (4:40) and Dameworth (4:41) were third and fourth.

Holbrook and Morales began to fade at the halfway point, but Rodriguez, Francis O’Neill of San Pasqual in Escondido and Luis Quintana of Arroyo Grande joined the lead pack shortly thereafter.

“I was surprised Holbrook dropped off so quickly,” Dameworth said. “But no one else surprised me. I expected everyone else who was there to be there.”

Quintana, a sophomore, made the first big move of the race when he surged to a 20-yard lead at the 2-mile mark, passed in 9:38.

“That really scared us,” Agoura Coach Bill Duley said of Quintana’s move. “I told Bryan not to let him steal the race.”

Dameworth took note of Duley’s words and acted appropriately.

“I did pick up the pace when he took off,” said Dameworth, who came through 2 miles in 9:43. “I had planned to go with three-quarters of a mile to go, but (Quintana) forced me to go earlier. . . . But I was pretty sure he couldn’t hold that pace. It was just too fast.”

Quintana began to feel the effects of his reckless surge with a half-mile remaining and the Southern Section threesome of Dameworth, Williamson and Rodri-guez shared the lead until 500 meters remained.

Then, just as he had done last year, Dameworth opened a yard lead on his pursuers and maintained it to the finish.

“I thought I had him,” said Williamson, who split 2 races with Dameworth before Saturday. “But he found another gear every time I picked it up. I tried, but I just couldn’t catch him.”

Williamson could take solace in the fact that his time of 15:04 was 8 seconds faster than Dameworth’s winning time last year. Rodriguez was third in 15:05 and O’Neil placed fourth in 15:08.

“That was a great race,” Duley said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a race where two guys dug down as many times in the stretch as they did.”

Todd Lewis of Burbank would probably agree with Duley.

Lewis, the Southern Section 3-A champion, went out conservatively but moved up throughout the race to finish sixth in 15:22.

“I’ve never been this tired after a race before,” Lewis said as he slumped on the ground. “I’ve never run in a race with so many great runners in it. I’m just glad I was able to be in it and be a part of it.”

Canyon sophomore Dave Hartman placed seventh in 15:25 and Granada Hills senior Craig Lawson, the City Section champion, finished 10th in 15:28.

Shawn Goetzinger of Camarillo (18th in 15:44), Obed Aguirre of San Fernando (20th in 15:46) and Abe Valdez of Camarillo (22nd in 15:49) also placed in the top 25.

Paced by Goetzinger and Valdez, Camarillo duplicated its fourth-place finish of 1987, but the Scorpions entered Saturday’s race as one of the favorites after their 4-point loss to Dana Hills in last week’s Southern Section 4-A Division final.

Canyon, paced by Hartman, finished seventh with 226 points.

The Cowboys ran without their No. 3 runner, Keith Meter, who was competing in a motorcycle endurance race in Barstow.

In the boys’ Division III race--for schools with 700 or less students--Ryan Coady of Village Christian placed seventh in 16:29 and Wes Smith of L.A. Baptist finished 10th in 16:39.

THE FINISH LINETOP VALLEY-AREA INDIVIDUALS

DIVISION I

Boys

1. Bryan Dameworth, Agoura, 15:03

2. M. Williamson, Thou. Oaks, 15:046. Todd Lewis, Burbank, 15:22

7. Dave Hartman, Canyon, 15:25

10. Craig Lawson, Granada Hills, 15:28

Girls

3. Deena Drossin, Agoura, 17:55

16. Tiffany York, Agoura, 18:55

42. Cheyenne Zontelli, Agoura, 19:40

64. Michelle Schultz, Agoura, 20:01

70. Stacey Kristan, Agoura, 20:11

DIVISION III

Boys

7. Ryan Coady, Village Christian, 16:29

10. Wes Smith, L. A. Baptist, 16:39

Girls

35. Gina Johnson, L. A. Baptist, 20:59

37. Sarah Weitzel, L. A. Baptist, 21.01

47. Kirsten Berger, L. A. Baptist, 21.38

63. Marijane Unter, L. A. Baptist, 22:09

69. Jen. Turnblade, L. A. Baptist, 22:28