PREP CROSS-COUNTRY / NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Esperanza’s Pugmire Finishes 9th

Two years ago, she was an 800-meter specialist in track.

Last year, she moved up to the 1,600.

After finishing ninth in the Foot Locker national cross-country championships Saturday at Morley Field, Courtney Pugmire of Esperanza might focus her attention on the 3,200 in the spring.

It wouldn’t be a bad choice, considering how well she has performed this fall at distances of three miles and 5,000 meters.

“I really had no goal coming into this meet,” Pugmire said after running 17 minutes 31.4 seconds over a course that was 60 to 70 yards short of 5,000 meters. “I was just excited to be here running against this type of competition.”

Although Pugmire won the Southern Section Division I title Nov. 19 and placed second in the State Division I final the next week, she did not envision herself competing in the national championships until she placed fourth in the West regional Dec. 3.

“I knew I was going to take a shot at making the team in the West regional, but I didn’t expect to qualify,” she said.

When she did, she didn’t waste the opportunity.

Some runners in Pugmire’s position might have been content with simply making it to nationals, but Pugmire saw it as no-lose situation.

“There wasn’t a lot of pressure on me because I didn’t expect to be here and no one expected me to win,” she said.

Pugmire was in 13th place after the first mile before moving into eighth at two miles. She fell back to 11th at 2 1/2 miles, but passed two runners in the final 600 meters and barely missed a third.

“I was so close to those girls that I just told myself to dig down as deep as I could and go after them,” she said.

Buena Park freshman Heather Garritson finished a disappointing 23rd in 18:09.3.

Garritson, the State Division III champion, was in 28th place after a mile before moving into 26th at two miles and 25th at 2 1/2.

Santa Rosa sophomore Julie Stamps won easily.

The defending State champion in the 3,200 meters finished in 16:41.9, more than 20 seconds ahead of runner-up Sally Glynn (17:12.1) of Johnson High in Rockville, Md.

Defending champion Erin Davis of Saratoga Springs (N.Y.) held second place for most of the race before finishing fourth in 17:18.1.