Sprinter falls short, but experience is what counts

Campus Magnet sprinter Dameion Willis finished fourth in the Millrose Games’ Fastest High School Boy in New York City 60 meter dash, but his mere participation in the Madison Square Garden event was far more important than where he placed.
“This whole experience, hopefully, will carry over and make him even more dedicated,” said Steven Napoli, the Campus Magnet track and field coach.
In his second year at the helm, Napoli has been pleasantly surprised with Willis, a junior sprinter. He finished third in the city championship in the 55-meter dash and sixth in the state championship, but Willis wasn’t an active leader as a sophomore, preferring to let the seniors lead workouts. In fact, he seemed to have more interest in football, his other sport.
“I don’t think he realized the talent he had,” Napoli said. “He’s gotten more serious about it. This year he’s taken on more of a leadership role. He’s pushing everybody else. That translated into where we are today.”
“I look forward to coming back here next year,” Willis said. “I’m going to train harder. I’m more determined to come back and take gold.”
Finishing fourth at 7.17 seconds – just 2/100 of a second behind Sheepshead Bay’s Ayo Ishola Isijo for a Bronze Medal - the 5-foot-7, 130-pound Willis, who started slow, was disappointed with the outcome yet was happy for the chance. “It means a lot,” he said. Campus Magnet “hasn’t been in the top five [of sprinting] for a while. It feels good to put them on the map.”
In other events, Cardozo won the 4×400 meter PSAL relay for the second straight year. The team of Dalilah Muhammad, Joy Henry, Lindsay Rowe and Tessa West blew away the competition, finishing at 4:00.83, nine seconds ahead of second place DeWitt Clinton.
“Going into this year, we were very confident,” Muhammad said. “We just wanted to win it again. It’s always exciting coming to the Garden.”