ROUNDUP : Edison Girls Win Cross-Country Title

The Edison girls’ cross-country team made the most of the day it had been waiting for the entire season.

Saturday at Central Park in Huntington Beach, the Chargers won the Sunset League team title by outrunning Esperanza, which had ended its six-year dual-meet winning streak Sept. 15.

Edison, ranked fourth in the county and second in the State Division II poll, used its superior depth to turn back the Aztecs, 47-56, placing three runners among the race’s top nine.

Senior Elyse Homberger ran to a fifth-place finish in 19 minutes 3 seconds. Twins Jennifer and Jeannie Formosa (19:19 and 19:33) were eighth and ninth for the victors.

“I’d have to say that this is the most exciting win ever,” said Edison Coach Kristi McGihon, who coached the Chargers to the State Division II title last fall. “It’s always better to get a team after you lose.”

Esperanza’s Courtney Pugmire assumed the lead from the start, eventually leading the pack to the finish in 18:13, ahead of Los Alamitos freshman Kim Bates (18:32), Aztec senior Carrie Caulkins (18:44) and Fountain Valley junior Angie Winkler (18:58).

“I didn’t want anyone by me so I told my coach that I was going to go out hard,” said Pugmire, runner-up in the Orange County meet this fall. “I love to run alone.”

Running alone almost cost Pugmire her title, as a wrong turn after the mile mark turned into a post-meet protest.

After a meeting with league coaches, meet director and Huntington Beach Coach Eric Anderson ruled Pugmire would not be disqualified because the course was not properly marked.

Los Alamitos earned the third and final automatic berth to the Southern Section preliminaries by holding off fourth-place Fountain Valley, 59-84.

The Edison boys (47 points) edged Esperanza (50) and Huntington Beach (53) to win the team title, but it was Oiler Tony Trueba who stole the spotlight.

The sophomore spotted Edison junior Kent Roberts 30 yards in the race’s early going, before chasing down the Charger in the final mile to win in 15:51.

“My coach and I had a plan to get him on the hill,” said Trueba, who improved from a 13th-place finish as a freshman. “I wasn’t really worried about the pain, I just wanted to get the league championship.”

Roberts finished second in 15:58; Steve Wucetich of Los Alamitos (16:03) and Huntington Beach standouts Travis Fisher (16:09) and Dan Gaston (16:24) followed.

In the consolation round of the Santa Barbara girls’ volleyball tournament:

Newport Harbor 3, Santa Barbara 0--After suffering their first loss of the season to San Jose Archbishop Mitty Friday night, the Sailors (25-1) bounced back behind 16 kills from Misty May to win, 15-9, 15-9, 15-6. In an earlier game, Newport Harbor defeated Laguna Beach, 15-8, 15-9, 15-9.

In nonleague water polo:

Marina 14, Capistrano Valley 11--Stever O’Rourke had seven goals and Erik Larsono added four for host Marina (16-11).

San Clemente 15, Coronado 6--John Hewko had five goals and Jordan Hewko added four for host San Clemente (24-2).