Athletes Getting Back on Track : State meet: Rescheduling of finals means some have to change plans.

Orange’s Jamie Martinez was one of many county track and field athletes who thought his season was over.

“I was already in my rest mode,” Martinez said.

Ethan Taub of Foothill had just switched into football mode, finishing spring practice last week as one of the Knight’s starting running backs.

But both will shift back into their track gear today when California’s best gather at Cerritos College for the State Track and Field finals...again. The field events begin at 3 p.m. and the running events at 4 p.m.

Two weeks ago, rainy weather forced the cancellation of the finals. But after some discussion and reconsideration, the sponsoring California Interscholastic Foundation rescheduled the event.

“First after hearing the meet was canceled, you kind of turn all your motors off,” said Martinez, a junior who will compete in the boys’ 3,200 meters.

“It’s like everything you worked for all year, first it goes under. Then all of a sudden, they bring it back up. Maybe I’m lucky it happened to me this year. I feel sorry for the seniors. They have so many other things going on right now,” Martinez said.

“Physically, you should be able to hold a peak for two weeks,” said Taub, a member of the Foothill boys’ 1,600-relay team that set an Orange County record (3 minutes 14.99 seconds) in the preliminaries. “But mentally, it’s a different story.

“I’ve been running since December. School’s out now, and I’d rather go to the beach. The State meet won’t be the same. It can’t be; track season’s been over for two weeks,” he said.

Taub, a junior, said he hasn’t seen his teammates--Don Oliver, Tad Heath and Mike Lynch--all week, prompting his happy-go-lucky attitude.

“Whatever comes out, comes out,” he said.

Newport Harbor Coach Eric Tweit said his athletes--high jumpers Tina Bowman, Misty May and Michaela Ross, and shot put-discus throwers Gina Heads, Beau Ralphs and Wade Tift--were able to work out together this week.

“The last two weeks of training haven’t been too different from rest of the year for us,” Tweit said. “The tough things will be the mental aspect. But I think they’ll be excited and get pumped up when they look around and see all the people there.”

Marina boys’ triple jumper Tony Parrish returns to Cerritos College today after competing at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento last Saturday. After posting a season-best wind-aided jump of 51 feet at the State preliminaries, the senior jumped 50-4 Saturday.

“I think Tony has a good chance to win State as he did two weeks ago,” Marina coach Dick Degen said.

Unlike Parrish, Martinez has not competed since the preliminaries, but Orange coach Lanny Carter said he didn’t think that would put his runner at a disadvantage.

“It will all boil down to the individual who will be mentally tough to overcome the letdown,” Carter said.

Said Foothill Coach Jerry Whitaker: “It’s tough to try and pick up the pieces to put together a second run at it. But everyone else is in the same situation.”