U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL : Vargas Is Showing Maturity : Boxing: Channel Islands High student displays star quality after winning title.

Fernando Vargas says he wants to be famous.

Well, he’s off to a very good start.

Vargas, the reigning U.S. amateur boxing champion at 132 pounds, added an Olympic Festival gold medal to his already substantial list of accomplishments Tuesday night, and afterward exhibited additional star quality.

Before a large gathering of reporters, Vargas held court with style, humor and maturity well beyond the realm of most 16-year-olds.

He recalled how, at the age of 10, he became interested in boxing after seeing young and small fighters such as himself competing on television. He went on to articulately explain how the sport, and the regiment of his training, helped keep him from getting into trouble on the streets near his Oxnard home.

Vargas spoke lovingly and hopefully about his family and his trainer, Eduardo Garcia, a strawberry field foreman who speaks little English. He translated Garcia’s comments when the trainer was asked how good Vargas was initially. “He said, ‘Now this guy, he’s not going to be good at all,’ ” Vargas repeated a bit sheepishly.

Garcia was asked why.

“He thought I had some fear in my eyes, like the look of a fighter who would take a punch and go down,” Vargas said, adding with a large smile, “Which I’m not of course.”

Matched against Datris Biagas, a 25-year-old Armed Forces champion, Vargas was in control throughout a 29-15 decision. The maturity which benefits him outside the ring, also seems to help him in it. Tempted by a more experienced fighter to take a dance-and-jab attack, Vargas relentlessly stalked his opponent, successfully cutting off the ring and scoring on combinations and counterattacks.

“I could see in his eyes he was frustrated a little,” Biagas said. “But he stayed with his plan. He has good composure.”

In the first round, Biagas lunged at Vargas so ferociously, he aggravated a detached nerve in his elbow and took a standing eight count. “I’ve won fights with just jabs before,” Biagas said. “But against this kid you need more than just a jab.”

Vargas, a junior at Channel Islands High was graciously modest with reporters who seemed eager to get to know the youngest-ever U.S. boxing champion.

Asked if he can drive, Vargas replied that he owns a 1982 Celica that is “pretty beat up.”

“It gets me around places, but I don’t like to show it off that much,” he said, eliciting laughter.

Now that gold medal around his neck, that was another story. “This is nice,” he said. “Now I want to get that other gold medal in ’96.”