Tight Finish Highlights Marmonte Cross-Country Finals

It is not often that a record-breaking individual performance is overshadowed by the team competition in a high school cross-country meet.

But when Deena Drossin of Agoura High shattered her course record by 20 seconds--timing 17 minutes 4 seconds over the hilly, three-mile circuit at Moorpark College--her run took a back seat to the intense team battle waged in the boys’ race in Thursday’s Marmonte League finals.

Only three points separated Camarillo, Channel Islands and Agoura, schools ranked among the top five in their respective Southern Section divisions.

Camarillo totaled 62 points to edge Channel Islands (63) and Agoura (65).

The race between Channel Islands and Camarillo for the overall league title was even tighter. Camarillo’s win Thursday pulled it into a tie with Channel Islands for the Marmonte crown based on a scoring system that awards points for regular-season tri-meet performances and the league finals. As a result, Camarillo claimed a share of its fourth consecutive league title after winning three outright championships from 1987-89.

Channel Islands, which has not advanced to the Southern Section preliminaries since 1967, had neither won nor shared a league title in 23 years.

The top three teams and three individuals in each race advance to the Southern Section preliminaries, to be held Nov. 10 at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut.

Newbury Park’s Jeff Wilson ran 15:14 to win the boys’ race, although the real action was taking place back in the pack. Scott Stringer (ninth in 16:05) and Shannon Brusca (10th, 16:09) led Camarillo, but it was Bodie Minster’s final sprint that pushed the Scorpions over the top.

Minster slipped by Angel Garcia of Channel Islands in the final steps for a one-point swing in Camarillo’s favor. Minster finished 11th in 16:09, a second in front of Garcia.

Stewart Ellington (15:30) and Fernando Mendoza (15:42) finished third and fifth for Channel Islands.

“I’ve never seen a race that close between three teams,” Camarillo Coach Mike Smith said. “You got the three best teams in Ventura County and three points separate them.”

Almost unnoticed was Drossin, who set her third course record this season despite running with a stomach ailment. Defending league champion Jeannie Rothman also bettered Drossin’s old record of 17:24, finishing second in 17:17.

The Agoura girls placed four runners in the top eight and totaled 33 points to beat Westlake (56) and Channel Islands (88).