Garritson Transfers to Buena Park : Cross-country: Runner-up in State girls’ meet leaves Sunny Hills for Freeway League rival.

Carrie Garritson, who finished second at the State cross-country meet as a sophomore at Sunny Hills High School, enrolled at Buena Park on Tuesday.

Garritson, who has been considered a running phenom since she began racing at an early age, said she was looking forward to running for the Coyotes.

“Sunny Hills had two good girls last year (but) the Buena Park team is more motivated right now,” she said. “Sunny Hills hardly didn’t try last year.”

Mike Garritson, Carrie’s father, was quoted Tuesday as saying the reason Carrie and her brother James, who is a senior, transferred to Buena Park was because of James’ problems with gangs at Sunny Hills.

Sunny Hills Principal George Giokaris said he could not comment on any specific incidents involving students.

“I can’t talk about specific students,” Giokaris said. “As in terms of a gang situation, there is no gang situation.

“It is inaccurate to project Sunny Hills as a high school where student lives are in danger. Sunny Hills has a very safe, orderly and purposeful environment.”

When reached Wednesday, Mike Garritson declined to comment further, only saying that he spent Wednesday looking for an apartment in the Buena Park attendance area. In order for James and Carrie to be eligible to compete at Buena Park, the family will have to live in the school’s attendance area.

Following her freshman season at Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, Garritson enrolled at Sunny Hills after her family moved to Fullerton. As a sophomore, she led Sunny Hills to a ninth-place finish in the Southern Section’s Division II-AA cross-country preliminaries, then placed second in the Division II final and second at State.

“I’ll probably most definitely will win State (this season) unless I’m injured,” said Garritson, who won the State Division III girls’ title as a freshman.

Last track season, Garritson broke the long-standing Orange County record for 3,200 meters, 10 minutes 29.03 seconds by University’s Teresa Barrios in 1982, by running a 10:28.20 at the Southern Section Masters meet.

Buena Park won the Freeway League cross-country title last season and placed sixth in the CIF Southern Section Division II final. The Coyotes did not make State.

Another of Carrie’s brothers, incoming freshman Jared Garritson, who won the AAU national cross-country title last year as an eighth-grader, is eligible and on the team, according to Buena Park boys’ cross-country Coach Ed Matillo.

Garritson, who has met with Buena Park girls’ cross-county Coach Dan Hirsch but has not practiced with the team, said Wednesday she doesn’t know when she will be ruled eligible to compete for the Coyotes.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “I haven’t practiced with them but I expect to when I get my schedule changed next week.”