Camarillo Ends Decade With a Run to the Top

In a decade dominated by Marmonte League cross-country teams, Camarillo High secured its place in the record books in the Southern Section championships on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.

The Scorpions, the top-ranked team in the 4-A Division, placed five runners among the top 19 to handily win their first Southern Section title. Camarillo scored 56 points to outdistance Saddleback (103), San Clemente (118), second-ranked Canyon (121) and Hoover (131).

Camarillo, which finished third in the 4-A final in 1986 and ’87 and second last year, is the third Marmonte League team to win the 4-A title in the ‘80s.

Thousand Oaks claimed the championship in 1980, ’84 and ’86 and Simi Valley reigned in ’85.

The team race was a mere sideshow to the heated individual battle waged among Canyon junior Dave Hartman, Camarillo’s Abe Valdez and Hoover’s Eliazar Herrera.

With 150 meters remaining in the three-mile race Hartman, running third, surged past Valdez and Herrera to win in a personal-best 15 minutes, 12 seconds. Valdez (15:13) finished second and Herrera (15:15) third.

Top-ranked Hart tallied 64 points to win the 3-A boys’ title over Foothill League rival and second-ranked San Gabriel (102).

Agoura, ranked No. 1 in the 2-A, beat out second-ranked Arroyo Grande for the boys’ title, 47-102. The Chargers’ girls’ team, also ranked No. 1, placed five runners among the top 16 and scored 47 points to outdistance Arroyo Grande (83) and claim its third consecutive 2-A title.

Camarillo, Hart and Agoura qualified for the boys’ state Division I championships, to be held Saturday in Fresno. Individually, Agoura senior Bryan Dameworth won the 2-A title and posted the fastest time of the day, a 14:36 clocking.

CITY CHAMPIONSHIPS: Taft High won the boys’ team title and San Fernando’s Obed Aguirre won the boys’ individual title. C21.