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DeMatha High School senior Cory Puffett wasn't expecting rain in San Diego on Saturday for the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals. But a soggy afternoon is what he and the rest of the nation's top high school runners got.

Puffett, an Upper Marlboro resident, finished the 5-kilometer course 37th out of 40 runners with a time of 16 minutes, 17 seconds. Lukas Verzbicas of Carl Sandburg High in Orland Hills, Ill., became the first sophomore to win the event as he finished with a time of 15:08.

But before the race started, Puffett had trouble stemming from a strained hip he suffered in his previous meet, the Footlocker Northeast Regional on Nov. 28. Puffett said the injury limited his training leading up to the Footlocker National Finals.

"I got out there and saw the trainer on site and did some stretches, and felt fine in warm-ups," Puffett said. "The Northeast group was called to the start line first and it was actually pretty cold and rainy out there. Three-quarters of a mile in, I started feeling it. Considering that, I'm pretty happy with my performance. I'm not sure what caused the injury though. "

Puffett, the three-time Gazette-Star Boys' Cross Country Runner of the Year, is the only county runner to qualify for the national finals in the 31-year history of the event, known as the Kinney Cross Country Championships until 1993.

Puffett ended his prep cross country career competing in the most coveted race on the national scene. He said he plans to take a month off from running after having trained for six consecutive months.

"I'd say it definitely makes me feel pretty good about my whole career in high school," Puffett said of being the lone county runner to advance to the Foot Locker Nationals. "There has been some great names in Prince George's County in cross country over the years. I'm not really sure how to word it. It makes me feel fairly special. The whole experience was really fun."

Indoor season begins

County runners had several standout performances during last weekend's Howard County Winterfest at the Sports and Learning Complex in Landover.

Laurel High sophomore L'Zereck Chapman won the boys' 200 meters with a time of 22.96 seconds. Chapman also helped the Laurel boys' 800 relay team finish fourth (1 minute, 36.92 seconds).

The Largo boys' 1,600 relay team of Ben McKenzie, Andrew Wright, Andre Owens and Dennis Wolley won with a time of 3:35.27. McKenzie also finished fourth in the 400 (52.96).

Oxon Hill sophomore Robert Mercer won the boys' pole vault (11 feet), while Henry A. Wise senior Jeff Butler eclipsed his own meet record in the shot put (52 feet, 8.75 inches) to finish second.

The county's best performance of the day on the girls' side came from Oxon Hill senior Evann Slaughter, who finished second in the triple jump

(36-6.25). Clippers' senior Taylor Butler was third in the 55 hurdles (8.55), while Slaughter finished fourth (8.71). Slaughter also took third in the high jump (5-2).

Oxon Hill junior Deseree' King finished fourth in the girls' 1,600 (5:39.99) and took sixth in the 200 (26.62). The Oxon Hill girls were fourth in the 800 relay (1:50.64).

The Largo girls' 1,600 relay team finished fifth (4:24.11). Largo junior Charlise Morgan was second in the shot put (37-9.25). Teammate Agnes Conteh finished sixth in the triple jump (32-7.50).

Friendly senior Latrese Barker took fourth in the long jump (15-7.5).

UMES Coach O Invitational

County catholic schools were busy Saturday collecting hardware at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore Coach O Invitational.

The Elizabeth Seton, Bishop McNamara and DeMatha teams combined to win nine events.

Seton senior Ambrosia Iwugo won the 500 meters (1:18.68) while the sprint medley team of Adenike Pedro, Brianna Young, Maya Harrod and Iwugo placed first (4:32.69). Pedro also finished second in the 300 (41.74). Asha Roper took second in the 60 hurdles (9.17). Serwaa Syers finished third in the 800 (2:44.92). Leah Lofton took third in the triple jump (31-6.25).

McNamara junior Alexis Stroman won the 60 hurdles (9.17), and teammate Kiersten LaRoche won the high jump (5-1). Freshman Brielyn Rogers finished second in the high jump

(5 feet) and third in the 60 hurdles (9.71), while junior Paulette Fogle took second in the 500 (1:19.73). LaRoche also finished second in the 800 (2:44.90), and Stroman took third in the 300 (41.83).

On the boys' side, DeMatha had a strong performance in both the relays and individual events.

Stags' junior Jordan Lomax won the 60 meters (7.16), and senior William Kellogg took the 300 (35.65). The Stags' 800 relay team of Chris Walker, Robert Corbitt, Kellogg and Lomax finished first (1:32.2), and the 1,600 relay team of Jamal Joseph, Kendall Harris, Nathan Usher and Michael Williams also finished first (3:36.36).

Walker finished second in the 300 (36.08), just in front of Corbitt, who was third (37.4). Junior Jeff Ajayi finished second in the 800 (2:08.73). Sophomore Onyx Johnson was third in the 1,000 (2:45.79), and Andreas Roberson was third in the 60 hurdles (9.27).

McNamara junior Nigel Crawley won the 60 hurdles (8.56), while David Stone finished third in that event (7.19 seconds).

E-mail Terron Hampton at thampton@gazette.net.