Agoura Girls Charge to County Title

Agoura High took its well-worn path to the girls’ title in the Ventura County cross-country championships Friday, but Channel Islands broke from a pack of talented teams to claim the boys’ title at Moorpark College.

Deena Drossin of Agoura won her fourth consecutive title in leading the Chargers to their fourth team championship in a row.

Drossin toured the three-mile route in 17 minutes 24 seconds, eclipsing the course record of 17:26 set by Newbury Park’s Melissa Sutton in 1986.

“I really didn’t go into the race with the record in mind like I did at Mt. SAC,” said Drossin, referring to her record-tying effort last Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio College invitational. “I knew it was going to be a fast pace and that the record would be right in there.”

Drossin is undefeated this fall with eight wins in invitational and dual-meet races.

Westlake’s Jeannie Rothman and Channel Islands’ Veronica Barajas offered competition until Drossin started pulling away just before the one-mile mark.

Rothman, who finished second to Drossin for the fourth time this season, clocked a personal-best 17:36. Barajas was third in 18:02.

Agoura tallied 43 points, handily beating runner-up Buena (93) and third-place finisher Nordhoff (99).

Agoura is undefeated heading into next week’s Marmonte League finals at Moorpark.

While Agoura, the second-ranked girls’ team in the nation, had seemed almost assured of another county title, the boys’ championship was wide open.

“This is the first year I can think of that three or four teams have a chance to win it,” Camarillo Coach Mike Smith said.

Channel Islands, fourth in the Division I rankings, totaled 84 points to claim its first county title and keep alive the Marmonte League’s string of boys’ team championships dating to the meet’s inception in 1976.

Agoura (94) and Camarillo (121), ranked first and second in Division II, finished second and third. Fillmore, Division IV’s second-ranked team, placed fourth with 143 points.

The Raiders won even though two runners competed despite injuries. Stewart Ellington (knee injury) finished eighth in 16:02 and James Darpino (broken hand) was 19th in 16:32.

Teammate Fernando Mendoza timed 15:50 in placing fourth.

“This and our (double) dual meet with Camarillo and Agoura (which the Raiders won by one point) have been just crazy,” Channel Islands Coach Tom Kiddie said of the close scores.

Camarillo, which lost its top four runners from last year’s state Division I championship team, had won the past three county titles.

Jeff Wilson of Newbury Park outlasted Agoura’s Ryan Wilson and Fillmore’s Jorge Barajas to win boys’ individual honors in 15:25.

Ryan Wilson, a sophomore, clocked 15:36 to finish second and Barajas was third in 15:43.

“I’m stoked. I’ve never done anything like this before,” Jeff Wilson said.