Despite heavy heart, Lovett impresses

From the Pan Am Games in Toronto. Published July 25, 2015.

TORONTO — Never mind the finish.

Just getting to the starting block was a victory for Eddie Lovett.

The U.S. Virgin Islands hurdler woke up and checked Facebook on race day Friday morning only to find out his younger sister had been shot and killed overnight in South Florida.

A few hours later, Lovett was crouched down at the starting line at Toronto’s York University, racing to pay tribute to DelShonna Billy, who was 22 and had two children.

“My head wasn’t really in it,” Lovett said afterward. “I just wanted to race hard and honor her.”

Running on pure heart, Lovett still managed a fourth-place finish in his eight-man heat, finishing the 110-meter hurdles in 13.65 seconds, despite clipping the final three hurdles and staggering to the finish line.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Billy and a man were shot and killed in a car just after midnight in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday.

Police had no leads and were calling on the public for information as of Friday evening.

“He was up at 5 in the morning and was just going through it,” said Adrian Durant, a USVI national track and field coach. “The fact that he could even step on that line, and have them announce him, and have the camera on him, and to go out and perform at all... if he would’ve run 15 seconds, I would’ve thought it was amazing that he was able to put himself together to be able to do that.

“For him to go run 13.65, I don’t think there’s anything that anyone else could’ve expected from anybody.”

Added fellow USVI national coach Nathan Taylor: “For Eddie to run a world class time under these circumstances is a miracle. He and his sister were very close. He’s an incredible young man.”

Lovett did not qualify for Friday afternoon’s final and his race closed the Pan Am Games for USVI athletes. The closing ceremony is Sunday night and the USVI’s medal drought will continue to the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru, reaching 24 years.

But thoughts were with Lovett and his personal grief Friday afternoon.

“His racing showed his pride in the Virgin Islands and his commitment to finish what he set out to do,” said VIOC President Angel Morales. “That showed great courage from his part.”

Lovett had planned to stay for the weekend, but the VIOC arranged a new flight Friday afternoon so he could return to Florida to be with his family.

The former University of Florida indoor NCAA 60-meter hurdles champion has dealt with personal tragedy before.

Lovett grew up in Miami with his mother. His father, Eddie Williams, a former top baseball prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals, lived on St. Croix and was largely out of Lovett's life.

The pair started to forge a relationship when Lovett was starring for the Gators.

However, Williams was killed three years ago this month on St. Croix by gunfire. He was found unresponsive in the drivers’ seat of his car on July 18, 2012.

His father’s funeral was the first time Lovett visited St. Croix.

After Friday’s race, Lovett said he planned to race at an invitational on Aug. 1 in Atlanta, and then the North American, Central American and Caribbean Senior Championships on Aug. 7-9 in Costa Rica.

Lovett, 23, is the only USVI athlete already qualified for the track and field world championships, Aug. 22-30 in Beijing.

Durant said Lovett didn’t even consider scratching Friday’s race.

“For him, track being something the he loves to do,” Durant said, “I think that running the hurdles helped him to kind of put himself in the frame of mind where he could just get through the day, and not just be overcome by depression and grief.

“So I think him going out and racing a performing will help him deal with this loss.”

Lovett was disappointed in his finish on Friday morning in Toronto, but knew he had more important places to be.

“I was preparing for this week; my preparation was strong," Lovett said. “But this event this morning really put my mind in another place.”