Brea Olinda junior Austin Tamagno experienced another summer highlight last week, as he participated in the Nike Elite Camp in Beaverton, Ore., for the second consecutive summer.
The camp hosted some of the nation’s best high school distance runners. Tamagno was one of 18 – 10 boys, eight girls – who participated.
“The kids were a lot more fun because I knew a lot more of the guys,” Tamagno said. “I was more comfortable (this year).”
In June, Tamagno set the age-16 national record in the mile with a 4:06.67 he ran at the Brooks PR Invitational in Seattle.
At the Nike camp, Tamagno, who was All-County in track and cross country as a sophomore, said the athletes were given talks about nutrition, speed, core and strength workouts, and what to expect on college trips.
Tamagno said he hasn’t given much thought to where he’ll run at college. He intends to focus on that next summer.
For now, he’s focusing on his training, which includes running 65 miles a week and going to the gym two to three times a week, for the upcoming season.
Tamagno will be the top returning distance runner in the county, as Villa Park’s Garrett Corcoran, El Modena’s Sydney Gidabuday and the Wildcats’ Brennon Koryta have all graduated.
“It’s exciting, now I get to go through a new learning phase and dictate races,” Tamagno said. “It’s going to be a lot different, but there’s always someone that comes up. I’m hoping to go undefeated.”
