High School Roundup : Stylishly Clad Camarillo Runners Sew Up Easy Cross-Country Win

The outcome was the same as last year, but the Camarillo High cross-country team had a new look Saturday as it rolled to victory in the Royal Invitational at Moorpark College.

First, there were the uniforms.

Drab navy blue singlets and shorts have been replaced by sharp-looking white shorts and tops with navy- and aqua-blue trim. The runner’s surname is printed on the back.

Then there was senior Derek Kite who was making his first invitational appearance in a Camarillo uniform after transferring from Agoura High during the summer.

And finally, there was Coach Mike Smith, clean-shaven after sporting a mustache and beard for most of the past 14 years.

“I was taking care of my kids one day during the summer and trying to keep them entertained,” said Smith, who is in his eighth season at Camarillo. “They asked me to shave it off, so I did. I like it. It makes me look younger.”

Smith isn’t apt to get any gray hairs this season if his team performs as it did Saturday.

Led by winner Abe Valdez, the Scorpions placed five runners in the top six to score 19 points in the large-schools race, 65 ahead of second-place Palos Verdes and 123 in front of Thousand Oaks.

“We ran well for our first invitational,” Smith said. “I was pleased with the effort, overall.”

Valdez, who placed seventh in the 3,200 meters in the state track and field championships in June, was particularly impressive.

After running in the lead pack for the first 900 meters, Valdez surged into the lead going up the first hill on the 2.7-mile course and was never seriously challenged.

He led at the one-mile mark in 4 minutes, 55 seconds, passed two miles in 10:10 and finished in 13:46.

Because of the hot weather earlier in the week, the three-mile course was shortened by 585 yards as it bypassed what is usually the fourth of six hills.

And although temperatures Saturday were in the low 80s, John Clark, Royal coach and race director, decided to stick with the original plan.

Not that it upset Valdez & Co.

“I would rather have run on the regular course so I could compare times with last year,” Valdez said. “It wasn’t that hot. But we’ll get two more chances to run on this course later in the year.”

Ramon Morales of Ventura placed second in 14:06 and then came the Scorpions’ wave of Kite (14:11), Chad Malesich (14:20), Josh Gerry (14:21) and Shawn Goetzinger (14:28).

“If they stay healthy, no one’s going to touch them this year,” Rio Mesa co-Coach Brian FitzGerald said.

That’s what Camarillo thought last year after winning the prestigious Stanford Invitational. But overconfidence got the best of the Scorpions and they were defeated by Dana Hills for the Southern Section 4-A Division title, 86-90, and placed a disappointing fourth in the state Division I championships in Fresno.

“We’re not scared of anyone,” Valdez said. “But we’re not saying we’re going to beat everyone. We made that mistake last year.”

Jeanine Rothman of Westlake won the girls’ large-schools race in 16:47 with two-time defending state Division I champion Palos Verdes taking the team title with 22 points. Channel Islands was second with 68 points, followed by Westlake with 84.