Athletes’ Eligibility Is Focus of Hearing

A hearing to determine the varsity eligibility of cross-country runners Carrie and James Garritson at Buena Park will be held Oct. 14 in Cerritos, according to Dean Crowley, Southern Section associate commissioner.

The Garritsons transferred to Buena Park from Sunny Hills after James, a senior, continued to be threatened by alleged gang members at the Fullerton High School.

The problems date to 1989 when James was a freshman at Sunny Hills. Mike Garritson, the runners’ father, moved the family to Lake Arrowhead the following year to avoid further confrontations. But less than 12 months later, the Garritsons had returned to Fullerton where they had easier access to a swimming pool. Swimming is part of their training.

When James began to be harassed again, Mike Garritson enrolled his children at Buena Park this month and searched for an apartment to rent within the school’s attendance district.

As a freshman at Rim of the World, Carrie won the State Division III championship. As a sophomore at Sunny Hills, she was the runner-up to Edison’s Shelley Taylor in the Southern Section and State Division II finals.

James won a junior varsity race Saturday at the Sonora Invitational.

Under section rules, James and Carrie, junior, are presently eligible to compete only on the junior varsity level. At the hearing, the family will attempt to clear them to run in varsity races.