Dameworth Faces Fast Field in Millrose Games

Bryan Dameworth of Agoura High will get his second shot of the indoor track season at some of the nation’s top high school milers when he competes in the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden in New York City tonight.

Dameworth, who won the Kinney national cross-country championships in December, is better known for his prowess at the longer distances. But he ran 4 minutes 17.77 seconds to defeat a stellar mile field in the Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena last month.

Tonight he will face another talent-laden field, which includes Martin Keino of Fork Union Military Academy (Va.), Teddy Mitchell of Lyman High in Longwood, Fla., and Mike Hampton of Punxsutawney High (Pa.).

Keino, the son of former Kenyan Olympic champion Kip Keino, placed sixth in the Kinney national championships and third (4:18.78) in the mile in the Sunkist meet. Mitchell finished ninth in the Kinney meet and has run 4:15.3 in the mile.

Hampton is the fastest returning 1,500-meter runner in the country with a best of 3:51.19 last season.

“This is a big race for Bryan,” said Agoura Coach Bill Duley, who is also Dameworth’s stepfather. “This is a chance to see how fast he can run. We’re hoping he can run 4:10.”

If Dameworth, who has a personal best of 4:14.4, attains that goal, he might run in the open mile in the Times/Eagle Indoor Games at the Forum, on Feb. 16.

Times meet director Will Kern has extended an invitation to Dameworth, but Duley is hesitant for his charge to compete in the meet unless he is capable of running 4:08 or better.

Tonight’s meet will mark the start of a busy month for Dameworth, who plans to take recruiting trips to Oregon, Colorado and UC Irvine. He visited the Arizona campus in Tucson last month.

Dameworth also will make a trip to Indiana, although Duley said it’s doubtful that his stepson will attend school there because of the distance from the West Coast.

“(Indiana Coach Sam Bell) called us and we told him that Bryan really wasn’t interested in going there,” Duley said. “But Sam wanted him to make a trip out there anyway. He thought it might change Bryan’s mind.”