Fast Finish by Dameworth Leads to Sunkist Mile Win

Through his first three years in high school, the one quality that Bryan Dameworth lacked as a runner was a potent kick. No more.

The Agoura High senior used a strong finish to win the Kinney national cross-country championships last December, and it served him well again Friday night when he came from behind to win the boys’ mile in the Sunkist Invitational track and field meet at the Sports Arena.

Dameworth ran 4 minutes, 17.77 seconds--surging into the lead with 200 yards remaining--to win a race billed as the national high school indoor mile championship.

Although Dameworth’s final time was slower than expected, he covered the final 440 in a quick 59.7 seconds.

“I didn’t know what to expect, really,” Dameworth said. “I was running against some guys--like Bile--who I’d never run against before.”

Jama Bile of Woodson High in Fairfax, Va., was one of three African runners--Martin Keino and Ibrahim Aden were the others--in a race that also included Penn Trevella of Christchurch High in New Zealand.

But it was Dameworth who surged to the front with 1 1/4 laps remaining on the 160-yard track.

“I really wanted to take off with two or three laps to go,” Dameworth said. “But it just worked out later than that.”

Trevella finished second in 4:18.11, and Keino, the son of Kenyan running great Kip Keino, placed third in 4:18.78.

In other events, Rio Mesa freshman Marion Jones, taking over the mantle from five-time state titlist Angela Burnham, who graduated from the Oxnard school last June, won the girls’ 50-meter dash in 6.53 seconds. She also led off Rio Mesa’s victorious 4x160-yard relay and anchored the Spartans’ winning 4x440 relay.

Jones’ 50 time moved her to sixth place on the all-time high school performance list in the infrequently run event and made hers the fastest freshman time ever.

Deena Drossin of Agoura placed third in the girls’ mile (5:09.45) and Kent Richter of Oak Park finished second in section 1 of the boys’ 500-yard dash (1:01.2).

Nikki Smith of Montclair Prep leaped 17 feet, 3 inches to place sixth in the girls’ long jump.

In the boys’ 2-mile run, Teddy Mitchell of Lyman High in Longwood, Fla., won in 9:25.1. He was followed by Abe Valdez of Camarillo (9:25.4), Obed Aguirre of San Fernando (9:28.9) and Eliazar Herrera of Hoover (9:29.2).