PREP CROSS-COUNTRY ROUNDUP : Esperanza Girls End Edison’s Dual-Meet Winning Streak

The Esperanza girls’ cross-country team celebrated its entry to the Sunset League by beating host Edison Thursday.

Led by a 1-2 finish from seniors Courtney Pugmire and Carrie Caulkins, the Aztecs (1-0, 1-0 in league) ended the Chargers’ six-year dual-meet winning streak with a 24-31 victory.

The victory strengthened Esperanza’s No. 1 county ranking; the Aztecs and Chargers were the top two ranked teams in the preseason poll.

Pugmire assumed the lead shortly after the one-mile mark of the three-mile race, easing to victory in 18 minutes 19 seconds. Caulkins (18:42) pulled away from Edison’s Jennifer Formosa (19:01) in the final mile to finish second.

The victory stretched the Aztecs’ winning streak to just over three years. A 1991 Empire League loss to Los Alamitos was the last blemish on Esperanza’s record.

“Coach and I decided I needed to run my own race, at my own pace,” Pugmire said. “And I did.”

Edison’s Keri Wright assumed the early lead, taking the race through the first mile before Pugmire took over.

“I told the girls before the start of the race that’s what they should expect,” Esperanza Coach Rich Medellin said.

Wright finished fourth (19:05), followed closely by Aztec senior Jenny Titus (19:26) and Charger senior Jeannie Formosa (19:30).

The victory avenged the Aztecs’ loss to the Chargers at the Orange County Championships last October, where the teams tied, but Edison won because of a faster sixth runner.

“Last year, our focus was a lot on the other teams,” Medellin said. “This year, our focus is on ourselves.”