BOYS’ STATE TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS : Parrish’s Mark Comes on Day of Reflection

Marina’s Tony Parrish was understandably happy with his State-winning triple jump of 50 feet 11 3/4 inches Saturday at Cerritos College. It was the second-longest triple jump in Orange County history and it beat his closest competitor, Von Ware of Vista Rancho Buena Vista, by more than a foot.

But Parrish had a hard time celebrating his achievement. Only hours earlier, he had attended the funeral of his uncle, Maurice Robinson.

“I was feeling weak earlier in the day, but I pulled through,” Parrish said.

Parrish also was trying to curb a recent habit of looking at metered signs on the side of the long jump pit.

“I was looking all day at the signs--a lot more than I should have been,” said Parrish, who has signed a letter of intent to play football at Washington. “I was finding it hard to stop myself.”

Parrish said he had another bad habit of taking off well in front of the jumping board.

“I think I could have jumped another six to 12 inches on the 50-11 3/4 jump if I had hit the board,” he said. “The lady at the pit said I wasn’t coming close to the board. But she wouldn’t tell me how much further I could go.”

Parrish also continued to battle lingering problems with a stress fracture in his left foot. After three jumps, he took off his shoe and had his foot retaped.

Somehow, Parrish pushed aside all of his problems and had the kind of day he dreamed about. Was he dreaming about breaking Phoupet Singbandith’s Orange County triple jump record of 51-7 3/4 set in 1990?

“I never really thought about it,” Parrish said. “I had other things on my mind.”

Trabuco Hills’ Chad Peare also set aside problems to win the discus (182-2) and take third in the shotput (57-6 1/2).

Peare was almost 10 feet short of his personal best of 191-11, which he set at the Arcadia Invitational this year, but said there was a good reason.

“I don’t think I’m where I should have been mentally and physically,” Peare said. “When they canceled the meet, I said, ‘My season’s over,’ and I stopped training.”

Still, Peare was not surprised his distance was enough to win.

“I thought something in the 180s would win it,” he said. “I didn’t think anybody was going to throw what they usually do. I would have been happy to end with a PR. But I’m happy with winning.”

In the shotput, Peare edged Newport Harbor’s Wade Tift, who had a throw of 57-2. Esperanza’s Travis McCullough was fifth at 55-5 1/2.

The Foothill boys’ 1,600-meter relay team nearly pulled off a major upset, but was beaten by North Salinas. Calvin Harrison’s 45.2 anchor leg was the difference.

Tad Heath had given Foothill a 10-yard lead after three legs, but Harrison ran past Foothill’s Ethan Taub at the top of the last turn and North Salinas won, 3:14.19 to 3:14.99.

“He passed me in the preliminaries,” Taub said of Harrison. “I heard the crowd. I knew where he was the whole time.”

But Harrison did not run away from Taub and the rest of the field quietly. He raised the baton throughout the last 100 meters, showing off his speed and taunting his competitors. Harrison’s early celebratory act, which was reviewed by race officials for possible disqualification for unsportsmanlike conduct, nearly gave Foothill the race. But after a short meeting, race officials ruled that Harrison acted out of exuberance.

“The guy’s an awesome athlete, but if you think about sportsmanship, it’s not necessary to do that,” Taub said.

Considering the Foothill team has not trained together since the preliminaries three weeks ago, Taub said he was satisfied.

“I was happy,” he said. “We came in relaxed and almost pulled it off.”

Meet notes

Final team scores were delayed 20 minutes while officials reviewed the finish of the boys’ 1,600 relay, the last event. North Salinas won the relay, which placed the school in a tie with Merced for the team title, with 36 points. North Salinas’ anchor, Calvin Harrison, was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for pointing the baton to the crowd down both straightaways. After a lengthy discussion, the relay result was reinstated. . . . Harrison also anchored North Salinas to a third-place finish in the 400 relay, then won in the 200 and 400, setting a national federation record in the latter in 45.25.