Agoura Pair and Camarillo Win Titles in Cross-Country : State Meet: Bryan Dameworth and Deena Drossin post individual wins. Scorpions dominate boys’ Division I race.

Agoura High’s Bryan Dameworth and Deena Drossin won the boys’ and girls’ Division I individual titles and a veteran Camarillo boys’ squad romped to the Division I team title in the state cross-country championships at Woodward Park on Saturday.

Camarillo, which finished fourth in the state Division I race in 1987 and ‘88, ended three years of frustration by placing all five of its scorers among the top 24 to win the team title with 39 points.

Abe Valdez finished fourth in a personal-best 15:22 in leading the top-ranked Scorpions past No. 2 Concord De La Salle (97) and third-ranked Agoura (107).

Dameworth, who won his third title in a row, used strong finishes to ward off Goshu Tadese of San Diego Crawford in 1987 and Mike Williamson of Thousand Oaks in 1988. This year, though, the Charger senior was all alone at the end.

Dameworth clocked 14 minutes, 45 seconds, setting a Division I record over the 5,000-meter (3.1-mile) course, and finished 14 seconds ahead of runner-up Louie Quintana (14:59) of Arroyo Grande.

Dameworth (4:36) held a 12-meter advantage over Quintana (4:39) at the one-mile mark and the two runners were even at two miles in 9:32.

Dameworth said his invitational performances during the year gave him added confidence for the state championships but that he still felt pressure to perform.

“My first year I wasn’t expected to win it,” he said. “It kind of makes you want to get out there and show people.

“(Today), I tried not letting the political part of it get to me. . . . defending champion and all.”

Drossin’s race was much closer.

Tailing Livermore junior Becky Spies through much of the race, Drossin overtook her Northern California rival with 250 meters remaining and won in 17:27. Spies finished in 17:33.

Drossin, a junior, won the state Division I title her freshman year, but an injury-marred sophomore season caused her to fade to third in the state meet.

Dan Berkeland (15:26) and Dave Hartman (15:28), both of Canyon, finished fifth and sixth in the Division I race. San Fernando’s Obed Aguirre timed 15:30 and placed seventh.

The girls’ Division I race was expected to be a battle between Spies and sophomore Shelley Taylor of Huntington Beach Edison, both of whom were undefeated, but Drossin had other plans.

“I didn’t think I was going to catch her (Spies), I was thinking about being second,” Drossin said. “But then I thought to myself about how bad I wanted it. I was thinking about it all this week and I didn’t want all that thinking to go to waste.”

Westlake’s Jeannie Rothman placed third in 18:01 and Taylor faded to seventh in 18:30..

Drossin’s victory was not enough, though, as the top-ranked Chargers (75 points) fell to Palos Verdes (68), winner of the past two Division I championships. Agoura finished second for the third year in a row.

Escondido San Pasqual (119) and San Diego Mt. Carmel (121) placed third and fourth.

After five of its runners stumbled at the start of last year’s state final, Camarillo finally chased down the elusive state Division I championship.

“It’s a tremendous feeling,” Coach Mike Smith said. “I’m really proud of these boys and happy it’s over. It’s a special moment that they’ll have for the rest of their lives.

“I knew at the mile point we were in very good shape. We had five (runners) ahead of Agoura’s and De La Salle’s second runner. The dream has become reality.”

Taft (246) and Hart (341) finished ninth and 14th in the Division I boys’ race. The L. A. Baptist girls’ team (102) placed third in the Division III final behind Altaville Bret Harte (73) and Alpha League rival Maranatha (81).

Oak Park sophomore John Castner finished fifth in the boys’ Division III race with a 16:11 clocking.