Meet Is Back on Track, but Will Athletes Be Ready? : Track: Coaches express concern that many of the participants will not be in peak condition for the state finals.

Coaches from the South Bay have mixed feelings about the California Interscholastic Federation’s decision to reschedule the state track and field finals for Saturday at Cerritos College in Norwalk.

For the most part, coaches are happy that the athletes will have an opportunity to compete after the meet was canceled June 5 because of rain that created unsafe track conditions.

But there are concerns about how the two-week delay will affect the performance of the athletes and the outcome of the meet.

“The idea of bringing the kids back for a state meet is good, but the way it was done is ludicrous,” Peninsula Coach Joe Kelly said. “To bring kids back two weeks after it was canceled, not postponed, is ridiculous.”

Morningside, which has the most participants of any South Bay school with four boys and eight girls qualifiers, did not even practice last week.

“We stopped because obviously we thought there wasn’t going to be a meet,” Coach Ron Tatum said. “That’s why were going to have a team meeting Monday. We want to see where we’re at.”

Tatum said several members of the team are already participating in other sports and some athletes have prior commitments for Saturday.

“I don’t even know who will be available for the meet,” Tatum said. “We have some kids playing football and basketball in the L.A. Watts Summer Games.”

Gardena Coach Al Hearvey said those factors will make a difference in the outcome of the events.

“I sort of wonder how it will come off because some of the kids have stopped training and others might not be in the same form they were in two weeks ago,” Hearvey said. “It’s hard to get out of shape in a week or two, but you have to wonder how people will be prepared for this meet.”

Kelly thinks preparation will be particularly difficult for distance runners.

“It’s easier to prepare for some events, but the 3,200 (meters) isn’t one of them,” he said. “For distance runners, peaking is a big factor and all of these kids are going to be at various stages of preparation when they compete. The 1,600 and 3,200 should be very interesting.”

Kelly has a vested interest in the boys’ 3,200 because senior Dan Minami has the fastest time in the state, 9 minutes 4.13 seconds, this season. Kelly hasn’t seen much of Minami since the meet was canceled.

“I didn’t see Danny for three days after the meet, so I honestly don’t know how well he’s going to compete,” Kelly said.

But Hearvey likes the prospects of his distance runner, Morris Giddens, in the 1,600. He thinks Giddens will benefit by having competed against a strong field in the 1,600 Saturday at the Golden West Invitational in Sacramento.

“That’s going to help him when he comes back to the state meet because he’s continued to train hard all along,” Hearvey said. “It’s like a second chance for him. He was really looking forward to competing in the finals and he was kind of disappointed when they canceled it.”

Tatum said he is taking a wait-and-see approach before analyzing his team’s chances in the meet. Regardless of what happens, though, he thinks the meet has lost its luster.

“The edge was taken off for some kids when the meet was canceled,” he said. “It’s just not the same as it was before.”