Burnham Records National Bests in 100, 200 Meters at Masters Meet

Even though Angela Burnham of Rio Mesa High improved on her nation-leading times in the 100- and 200-meter races at the Southern Section Masters Meet at Cerritos College on Friday night, the Spartan senior remained composed.

“She doesn’t show her emotions,” Rio Mesa co-Coach Brian FitzGerald said. “She’s a pretty shy girl.”

What the defending state champion in the 100 and 200 accomplished, though, was enough to get anybody excited.

Burnham clocked 11.52 seconds in the 100, chopping 0.05 off her previous national best, which she set at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in April.

She also lopped 0.13 off Pasadena Muir’s Inger Miller’s nation-leading time in the 200, winning in 23.49.

However, the state’s premier sprinter knows that the most important meet, the state championships June 2-3 at Cerritos College, lies ahead.

“When it counts is next week,” Burnham said.

In the 100, Miller got a great start but Burnham, churning away in lane 5, easily made up the deficit in the first 30 meters and held on to win by 0.01 seconds. Miller clocked 11.53. The 200 was no contest for Burnham, who defeated Miller, 23.49 to 23.84.

Miller had a similar attitude. “It’s just practice now,” she said. “Next Saturday is the big day.”

In addition to her individual championships, Burnham anchored both relays for the Spartans. In the 400-meter relay, Burnham brought Rio Mesa (47.03) from sixth to third in the final stretch. She also held off Muir in the 1,600 relay, which the Spartans won in three minutes, 48.66 seconds.

The top five finishers in each event qualify for the state championships.

Bryan Dameworth of Agoura, the two-time state Division I cross-country champion, took the lead in the 3,200 after a slowish 2:20 first 800 and outlasted Thousand Oaks’ Mike Williamson at the finish, winning in 9:07.24. Williamson finished in a personal-best 9:07.41. Camarillo’s Abe Valdez placed fourth in 9:13.91.

The Southern Section 3,200 title had eluded Dameworth since his freshman year. Dameworth, a junior, placed second to Aaron Mascorro of Rosemead in 1986 and was seventh last year in 9:06.88.

“When I took the lead I was hoping to push it and break it open,” Dameworth said. “At the last lap I could see everyone sewing in behind me for the kick.”

Todd Lewis of Burbank ran a personal-best 4:10.77 in the 1,600 to place second behind Carpinteria’s Coley Candaele (4:10.54).

Alemany 400-meter runner Tony Borquez, the 2-A Division champion, eased up in the last 120 meters and finished second to Dominguez’s Langston Roosevelt.

Roosevelt ran 47.29 and Borquez, holding off a final spurt from Jeff Ingalls of Agoura, clocked a personal-best 47.70.

Ingalls was third in 47.89, also a lifetime best.

Crespi’s Russell White qualified for the state championships in three events.

The Cal-bound senior won the triple jump with a leap of 49 feet, 7 inches and placed third in both the 200 (21.62) and the long jump (23-4 1/4).