A Victory Lap, Barely, for Gettis

David Gettis of Los Angeles Dorsey strolled past the touted newcomer Saturday night at the Arcadia Invitational, remarked on the cool weather, then meticulously dug his spikes into the starting block before the boys’ 400-meter invitational final.

It was just another race for the two-time defending state champion.

In the adjacent lane was Long Beach Poly sophomore Bryshon Nellum, a gold medalist in the event last summer at the Junior Olympics and considered the biggest roadblock to Gettis’ bid for a third consecutive state title.

It was the most important event of his young high school career.

Less than a minute later, both sprinters had lived up to their expectations and those from the crowd of approximately 7,500.

Gettis, who has signed to play football and run track at Baylor, won the one-lap race in 46.81 seconds, holding off the late-charging Nellum, who finished second in a personal-best 46.92.

“I wasn’t really focusing on anybody else, just my time and strategy,” said Gettis, who ran a personal-best 46.39 in winning the City Section title last year.

Spurred on by the crowd, Gettis ran the first half of the race in 21.3, considerably faster than the 22.0 range that was planned. That opened the door for Nellum to make a late charge down the final straightaway and finish a half-stride behind.

“My goal was to come out here and just beat him,” said Nellum, who did not run high school track as a freshman because his previous school did not have a program. “This is my first year running in high school and my goal was to, at least, let everybody know, ‘Never doubt a youngster.’ ”

Gettis later ran a 45.8 anchor leg as Dorsey won the 1,600-meter relay in 3:11.49.

Jamere Holland of Woodland Hills Taft and Colin Campbell of Ventura were among the other local winners.

Holland, a junior, won the 100 meters in 10.52, knocking off the nation’s top returning sprinter, J-Mee Samuels of Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mt. Tabor. Holland’s time was slightly slower than his 10.40 two weeks ago at the Pasadena Games, but, he said, “I still won, so I’m kind of happy.”

Campbell, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior, passed Westlake Village Westlake sophomore Cory Primm in the final straightaway and won the 800 meters in 1:51.26.

Campbell, also a top basketball player for the Cougars, began running the event only this season after switching over from the 400.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while because I’m really strong in the 400,” said Campbell, who will continued his running career at USC. “I found out I could run a pretty even second 400 and I knew if I didn’t use too much energy in the first 400 that I could run just as strong, if not stronger, in the second.”

Sa’de Williams of Rancho Cucamonga, seventh in the state last year in the 200 and 400, was the top local competitor in the girls’ competition, winning the 200 in 23.63 and the 400 in 53.56. Rancho Cucamonga’s 400 relay team of Audrey Allas, Diane Warren, Lindsey Barajas and Brenda Martinez also won in 46.64.