Doug Bettisworth has turned in several top times this season in the boys' 800-meter run. Friday night, it took him, oh, 15 minutes to finally earn his coveted invitational championship in the Ventura County Track and Field Championships at Moorpark High.

The Oak Park High senior collided with Camarillo's Greg Kelly near the final 40 meters of their sterling duel, crossed the finish line a second behind the Scorpions junior, then waited more than 15 minutes before the race starter finally announced that Bettisworth was indeed the winner.

Bettisworth traveled the gamut from disqualification, to finishing second, to winning the prized 800-meter championship. Kelly initially was informed of his disqualification, was called back to the medals' stand to receive the first-place award, then was told his DQ was official.

"Craziest race I've ever been in," said Bettisworth, officially the winner in one minute, 55.14 seconds.

"It's very special to win this because it is the county championship. Last year I had to race against (Westlake's) Cory Primm and (Royal's) Hudson Andrews and finished third. I knew he (Kelly) was going to be tough to beat in this race."

What unfolded was this: Bettisworth and Kelly were involved in a tight duel down the stretch, with Kelly slightly in the lead, when the two came into hard contact with about 40 meters to the finish line. Bettisworth said he placed his hands on Kelly, who recovered his momentum and crossed first.

Kelly said it was simply an emotional race.

"It's tough, because I wanted to win this race so much," he said. "He came up on my shoulder, and we came into contact. They (race officials) said I cut him off, and said I was disqualified."

Bettisworth thinks it would have been a memorable finish in any scenario.

"We were basically even, so I felt I had a good chance to finish it off," he said. "It would have been an interesting finish."

Bettisworth's dramatic victory was among several sterling storylines Friday night.

Royal's Travis Edwards put on a strong finishing kick in the final 100 meters to pass Ventura's Michael Barnes and Oak Park's Evan Hennessey and win the boys' invitational 1,600.

Edwards admitted he wasn't exactly brimming with confidence when he checked out Barnes' top time of 4:15.84 this season.

"No," he said with a grin. "I thought he would be very tough to beat. What I wanted to do was stay close, because I thought I had the best finish of anybody in the race."

Only a sophomore, Edwards becomes Royal's latest stalwart distance runner.

"We've had a lot of great runners at our school," he said. "I want to follow in their footsteps."

Rio Mesa's Valexsia Droughn knows all about tradition, too. By winning the girls' invitational 100 (11.85) and 200 (24.71), Droughn becomes the Spartans' latest spring phenom.

"I wasn't nervous," she said after her 100 victory.

"I've been telling myself to relax and run my race. I knew I had the race won when I came off the blocks so well."

After finishing second to former Simi Valley standout Anna Sperry last year, Oak Park senior Courtney Lightfoot finally got her county championship in the girls' invitational 1,600.

"It feels pretty good," she said. "I've worked hard this year, and this race was definitely won of the my goals."

The boys' invitational 100 race was shaped by a revamped field.

Oaks Christian's Chris Owusu, who owns one of the top times in the state this year at 10.42, chose to sit out to race to rest up for CIF-SS competition.

Moorpark's Maxwell Dyce was sidelined after feeling a twinge in his hamstring.

In their absence, Rio Mesa's Sean Alfino sped home in 10.71.

"I was hoping to run a faster time," he said. "I wanted to get the school record (Josh Harrison in 10.68). I wish they (Owusu and Dyce) were in the race, but it still feels good."

Alfino also won the 200 in 21.97.

Among other winners, Royal's Philip Burks shrugged off a sore right foot to win the boys' invitational long jump in a season-best 23-0.

"I decided only today to compete," he said. "I made in on my third jump."

Burks sat out the rest of the competition, including the triple jump.

In other boys' invitational highlights, Garrett DeMirjian of Thousand Oaks won the 110 hurdles in 15.33; Jules Sharpe of Oaks Christian won the high jump at 6-6; Julian Carriger of Buena won the 400 in 48.95; Kevin Graf of Agoura won the shot put in 56-1; and Rogelio Reyes of Ventura was first in the 300 hurdles in 39.90.

In girls' events, Calabasas' Brittany Harper was a double-winner in the 400 (55.64) and 800 (2:13.80).

Malibu's Emani Truluck, a three-event winner a year, was first in the 100 hurdles in 14.26 and won the triple jump in 35-1.