Lancaster’s Love Wins Two Races at Mt. SAC

Kelvin Love of Lancaster staged his own personal coming-out party in the 46th Mt. San Antonio College Relays on Saturday with a pair of surprising victories in the boys’ 100- and 200-meter dashes.

Love, a senior, had placed second to Lionel Larry of Compton Dominguez in the 100 and 200 in the California Relays at the Home Depot Center in Carson on April 10. But he topped those performances in a big way this time when he ran career bests of 10.60 seconds in the 100 and 21.41 in the 200.

The 100 time, run in a steady rain, is the fastest in the state this year and moved Love to third on the national performer list. His 200 time moved him to second and seventh, respectively, on the state and national lists.

Not bad for someone who competed at the junior-varsity level last season as required by the Southern Section because of circumstances surrounding his transfer from Rosenberg (Texas) Terry after his sophomore year.

“I got out well,” Love said of the 100. “I think that was one of the things that put me in a good position to win.”

Derrick Jones of Long Beach Poly, who finished fourth in the 100 in the 2002 state championships as a sophomore, was favored in that event Saturday. But Love edged ahead in the final 20 meters to finish three hundredths of a second in front of Jones and four hundredths ahead of sophomore Jemere Holland of Woodland Hills Taft.

In the 200, Love defeated runner-up Kenny Moon of Corona by more than three tenths of a second while running in lane nine.

A pair of girls’ relay teams from Long Beach Poly, senior Marquis Profit of Pasadena Muir, junior David Gettis of Los Angeles Dorsey and sophomore Myra Hasson of Gardena also turned in noteworthy performances.

-- John Ortega

Swimming

La Verne Damien junior Michael Carter set two meet records as the Spartans won the boys’ title for the third year in a row and Glendora senior Courtney Eads set two meet records to lead the Tartans to their first girls’ title in the third annual Walnut Invitational on Saturday at Mt. San Antonio College.

Carter won the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle in record times of 47.97 seconds and 1:45.11, respectively. His 100 time is the second-fastest in Damien school history behind older brother John Carter’s 47.69, established when he was a junior in 2001.

Carter’s efforts helped Damien finish with 365 points, well ahead of second-place Upland, which had 302.

The Spartans won two of three relays, getting another meet record by the 200 medley team of David Williams, Tommy Stoughton, Carter and David Fahey timed 1:41.93.

Eads set meet records in the 100 free (1:54.03) and the 500 free (4:57.31). Junior teammate Nicole Shipman got a meet-record time of 58.78 in the 100 backstroke.

The Tartans scored 325 points to edge second-place Upland with 312.

-- Lauren Peterson

Softball

The Irvine Woodbridge Classic softball tournament was delayed a week when rain cut short the final day of games Saturday. Only four games were completed, highlighted by Orange El Modena’s upset of No. 14 Valencia, 3-0, and No. 7 Lake Forest El Toro’s 3-2 victory over No. 5 Corona.

-- Martin Henderson

Basketball

Sade Wiley-Gatewood, who led Lynwood’s girls’ basketball team to a 26-3 record and its fourth consecutive Southern Section title, was named Parade Magazine national player of the year Sunday.

-- Martin Henderson