BOSTON MARATHON

CHERUIYOT SETS COURSE MRK IN KENYAN SWEEP Robert Cheruiyot set a course record in the Boston Marathon yesterday as he and women’s winner Rita Jeptoo pulled off a Kenyan sweep. It was an outstanding day for the Americans, too. U.S. runners Meb Keflezighi, Brian Sell, and Alan Culpepper came in third, fourth, and fifth, 23 years after the last American winner, Greg Meyer. Americans took five of the top 10 spots. But Cheruiyot, the 2003 champion, pulled away for the best showing in Boston. His time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 14 seconds was a second better than the winning time fellow Kenyan Cosmas Ndeti in 1994. Kenya’s Benjamin Maiyo finished second, 1:06 off the pace.

In the women’s race, Jeptoo pulled away with about 2 miles left, the sixth Kenyan woman to claim the title in seven years. Jeptoo’s winning time was 2:23:38 in her marathon debut in the United States.

BASKETBALL

UCONN’S GAY, LSU’S THOMAS HEADED FOR NBA DRAFT Connecticut forward Rudy Gay said yesterday he will forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.The 6-foot-9-inch Gay averaged a team-best 15.2 points a game this past season, and is projected to be a lottery pick. He also averaged 6.4 rebounds and had a team-high 56 steals for the Huskies. A consensus All-American as a sophomore, he was one of four finalists for the Naismith player of the year.

Also declaring his eligibility for the NBA draft yesterday was LSU freshman forward Tyrus Thomas. Meanwhile, sophomore teammate and SEC player of the year Glen Davis said he is coming back to the Tigers. Thomas, the conference’s freshman of the year and co-defensive player of the year, signed with an agent Sunday night, a move that ended his college career. Davis, the athletic and personable inside presence known as “Big Baby,” said he still has unfinished business in college.

HILL TO REMAIN WITH SONICS The Seattle SuperSonics exercised Bob Hill’s contract option for the 2006-07 season yesterday, 3 1/2 months after they promoted him to replace the fired Bob Weiss. Seattle is 21-29 since Hill took over after a few months as Weiss’s assistant.

TENNIS

FEDERER STRUGGLES BUT ADVANCES IN MONTE CARLO Roger Federer struggled through 37 unforced errors before beating Novak Djokovic 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 yesterday in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters. The top-ranked Swiss, who is 29-1 this year and has won four of five title matches, is hoping to extend his finals streak to 12 and match the record set by John McEnroe in 1984.

In other play, third-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina beat Xavier Malisse of Belgium and Olivier Rochus of Belgium downed Gael Monfils of France.

– Associated Press