by Frank Aceto

Associate Sports Editor

Streetsboro head boys track and field coach Tom Fesemeyer is completely baffled.

"I've never had a season like this," he said.

Despite all their talent, the Rockets' season has gone in the wrong direction due to injuries to key athletes.

Streetsboro was supposed to take its two top sprinters to the 28th Optimist Meet May 3 at Austintown Fitch High School.

But Cory Lanterman, the team's top sprinter, did not compete in Austintown because of a hamstring injury he suffered at the Mogadore Wildcat Invitational May 3. So that meant Kasey Schwing was Streetsboro's only representative in Austintown.

As a result, the Rockets, who didn't expect to make too much of an impact in the team standings, placed 18th with 10 points. Wadsworth won the 26-team competition with 98 points and Copley (80) and Canton GlenOak (72.5) finished second and third, respectively.

He finished third in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.18 seconds and fifth in the 200 (23.17).

"We were planning to just take Cory and Kasey, but Cory's injury changed that," Fesemyer said. "Kasey has been solid all year for us. He had to run against kids from all three divisions."

The Rockets finished eighth with 27 points at the Wildcat Invitational. Norton won the competition with 123.5 points and Ravenna (112) and Akron Manchester (75), finished second and third, respectively.

Jason Tibbs won the shot-put competition with a throw of 43 feet, 6.5 inches.

Lanterman had a huge lead in the 200 when he pulled out of the race.

"Cory is being evaluated," Fesemyer said. "We're not sure when he's coming back."

3,200 relay: Tyler Bunch, Troy Wendell, Stan Rocuskie and Jan Sohlmann, sixth, 9:38.3

100: Schwing, first, 11.03

800 relay: Brandon Richardson, Mario Valenti, Nick Wiseman and Justin Sabol, fifth, 1:40.2

400 relay: Richardson, Drew Kluchurosky, T.J. Pegram and Mario Valenti, fourth, 47.22

800: Lesak, second, 2:38.3

200: Gleason, third, 28.43

3,200: Rachel Oravec, fourth, 13:26.7; and Ryczek, sixth, 13:58.6

Shot put: Kayla Brown, fourth, 30-8

On April 29 at Ravenna Stadium, Streetsboro lost to Portage Trail Conference County Division rivals Garfield (88-40) and Waterloo (69-53).

Here's how the Rockets fared against both teams:

100 hurdles: Sabol, second, 17.5; and Wiseman, third, 18.5

100: Lanterman, first, 11.3; and Schwing, second, 11.4

800 relay: Richardson, Schwing, Jarred Seligman and Wiseman, first, 1:45.3

1,600: Matt Melice, third, 5:07

400: Lanterman, first, 49.5; and Sohlmann, second, 57.5

300 hurdles: Shawn Wiler-Martin, second, 46.0

800: Troy Wendell, third, 2:23

200: Sabol, first, 23.3; Richardson, second, 25.8; and Terrance Pegram, third, 26.5

3,200: Brett Nola, second, 11:25; and Tom Grice, third, 11:50

1,600 relay: Melice, Sabol, Sohlmann and Wiseman, first, 3:55.4

High jump: Jack Lewis, second, 5-4

Long jump: Richardson, third, 17-6.75

Shot put: Tibbs, second, career-best 45-10.5

"Jason is going against the best throwers in the league," Fesemyer said. "He's really coming into his own and he works hard at what he does.

"We've had some good individual performances," he added. "We're running out of bodies. We were hoping to have 80 percent of our people at the league meet. But, from the looks of it, that's not going to happen."

The Rockets were scheduled to head to Ravenna to compete against PTC County rival Rootstown May 6. Results were not available at press time.

They are set to participate at the Columbiana Invitational May 10 at 9 a.m.

E-mail: faceto@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3914