Dameworth Beats the Course and Competition at Mt. SAC : Cross-country: Agoura runner finally takes the measure of his toughest foe as he wins this invitational title with a personal-best time.

Bryan Dameworth established himself as one of the top high school cross-country runners in the nation during his freshman, sophomore and junior years at Agoura High. But it wasn’t until the Mt. San Antonio College Invitational last Saturday that he finally conquered his most unforgiving adversary.

For three years, the third mile of the Mt. San Antonio College cross-country course had plagued Dameworth in his quest for titles in the prestigious Mt. SAC Invitational and the Southern Section 2-A Division championships.

“Every year I always get beat right there,” Dameworth said.

So the Charger senior decided to put his foot down Saturday. Followed quickly by the other foot.

Dameworth survived a late surge by Arroyo Grande junior Luis Quintana and the final mile of the challenging three-mile course to win the team sweepstakes race in a personal best of 14 minutes, 41.8 seconds.

Dameworth’s time--which improved his previous best by 27.2 seconds--moved him to fourth on the all-time course list behind Jeff Nelson (14:32 in 1978) of Burbank, Eric Mastalir (14:38 in ‘85) of Sacramento Jesuit and Eric Reynolds (14:39 in ‘82) of Camarillo.

Reynolds also was the Kinney national cross-country champion in 1982.

“I still think I could run better, I always do after I finish that course,” said Dameworth, who last won the Mt. SAC Invitational while competing in the junior high school division as an eighth-grader at Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills.

“I’m not very fond of it still,” he said of the course. “I just know it too well. I used to like it a lot, but it’s kind of getting old.”

Although Dameworth has turned in impressive performances on the Woodward Park course in Fresno--site of the state championships and the Kinney West regional--and at Crescenta Valley Park where the Kenny Staub Invitational is held, the Mt. SAC course has been his Achilles’ heel.

He placed 13th, fourth and third in the Mt. SAC Invitational during his first three seasons at Agoura, and third (1986), fourth (‘87) and second (‘88) in the 2-A championships.

But consider Dameworth’s other accomplishments during those years:

* As a freshman, he became the first ninth-grader to qualify for the Kinney national championships.

* As a sophomore, he won the inaugural state Division I championships.

* As a junior, he successfully defended his state Division I title and placed fourth in the Kinney championships in San Diego, earning All-American honors.

Agoura Coach Bill Duley, who is also Dameworth’s stepfather, said that Saturday’s race was good for his protege.

“It really opened up his confidence,” Duley said . “Not for the season or anything, but for that course.”

Dameworth’s time surprised Duley, who had expected his charge to run between 14:50 and 14:55.

“When I saw him come down on the airstrip (about 200 meters from the finish line) and I looked at my watch and it said 14:10 (running time),” Duley recalled, “I said, ‘Oh, my God.’ ”