Dameworth Faces Test From Maris

Andy Maris gave up the chance of a lifetime so that he could prepare for the race of his life.

The senior at White River High in Buckley, Wash., chose not to compete in the World Junior Cross-Country Championships on March 24 in France so as to ready himself for a run at Agoura’s Bryan Dameworth in the 3,200-meter event at tonight’s Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High.

In their December confrontation at the Kinney national cross-country finals in San Diego, Maris (15 minutes 0.9 seconds) finished second to Dameworth (14:49.9) in what was a neck-and-neck battle until the final quarter-mile of the 5,000-meter race.

Dameworth, a senior, leads the nation in the 1,500 (3:55.8); the 3,200 (9:01.2) and the indoor mile (4:13.1). He won the Arcadia 3,200 a year ago and has a personal best of 9:00.27. Maris is the No. 2 returnee in the nation with a 1,600 mark of 4:10.7.

Dameworth, however, believes Maris is No. 1 with his mouth.

“He’s a big talker,” said Dameworth, who was at the world junior cross-country trials in Seattle when Maris opted to forgo the championship race in Aix Les Bains, France. “He was saying, ‘I’ll see you at Arcadia.’ I’m not going to start talking like him.”

The 3,200 also showcases the Nos. 3 and 4 returnees nationally in L. A. Wilson junior Martin Morales (9:06.46) and Camarillo senior Abe Valdez (9:07.0). Hoover’s Eliazar Herrera has run 8:43.53 for 3,000 this spring.

Rio Mesa freshman Marion Jones will adjust her starting blocks next to Muir’s Inger Miller in the girls’ invitational 100 meters. Miller, a senior, boasts the fastest time in the nation--an 11.48 clocking at the Northridge/Alemany Invitational two weeks ago.

Jones stormed 11.76 in finishing second to Miller at Cal State Northridge and ran a nation-leading 23.9 (converted) mark for 200 at Santa Barbara last week.

Other top area entrants include Birmingham’s Brian Gastelum (800 and 1,600), Fillmore’s Nikki Shaw (1,600), Antelope Valley’s Brock Chase (high jump), and Agoura’s Deena Drossin (3,200). Quartz Hill triple jumper Gabe Higa, the state’s No. 2 returnee, may miss the event due to leg-muscle cramps.