PREP CROSS-COUNTRY ROUNDUP : Another Garritson Makes Mark for Buena Park

Picking up where her older sister, Carrie Garritson, left off, Buena Park’s Heather Garritson ran away from the pack, turning in the fastest time of the day on the three-mile course in the Laguna Hills Invitational cross-country meet Saturday.

Running in the Division III freshman race, Garritson broke free from the field early, just as her sister had done, finishing in 17 minutes 41 seconds.

“I was sort of trying to go for the course record, but I haven’t run this course before,” said Garritson, who won her race by 2:06.

“You have to run it twice to get the feel of it.”

Garritson did break the freshman course record, becoming the first ninth-grader to run faster than 18 minutes. The previous record of 18:18 was set in 1990 by Woodbridge freshman Kay Nekota.

The Division I girls’ junior/senior race was anything but a blowout, as Esperanza narrowly escaped El Toro, edging the Chargers, 53-54.

The Chargers and the Aztecs each had three runners break the 20-minute barrier, the only teams to accomplish the feat. But senior Courtney Pugmire enabled the newest members of the Sunset League to win.

Pugmire finished third in 18:45, behind winner Eliaser Estrada of Santa Ana Valley (18:16) and Fallbrook’s Jinna Rohde (18:16).

The boys’ senior races in divisions I, II and III, the final three events scheduled to be contested, were canceled because of the strenuous demands on the paramedics.

“The paramedics are totally overwhelmed. (They have) six people in serious condition,” said Kevin Dempsey, Laguna Hills coach and meet director. Race-related injuries contributed to the problems.

“He simply will not let us run one more race.”

Said race starter Dave Kurrle: “This has nothing to do with the temperature. They just simply shut us down because (the paramedics) have no one left to help us.”