Northwest Region title goes to OP girls

By Robert Daski

Published: October 30, 2008

EARLYSVILLE – The Osbourn Park girls’ cross country team strolled to the medal stand to accept the trophy for winning Thursday’s Northwest Region meet wearing their blue team sweatshirts, blue shorts and sneakers.
But it was the red ribbons team members wore that stood out.
With the death of Osbourn Park coach Michael Schuster’s mother on Sunday due to brain cancer, the Yellow Jackets entered Thursday’s meet determined to race well in support of their coach.
“We all care deeply about Schuster,” Osbourn Park sophomore Kayla Tyrrell said. “We wanted to dedicate this race toward him.”
Schuster knew his team would be ready. He noticed his runners taking a loose, but confident approach. They smiled during warm-ups and showed no signs of being nervous.
Their strategy paid off as Ariel Karabinus finished second (19:16) and Tyrrell fourth (19:28) to help Osbourn Park accumulate 57 points.
“I knew I had to get a top five for my team,” Karabinus said.
In a year where her finishes are lower than her sophomore year, Karabinus continues to spark her team.
She has done so with the help of Tyrrell, who is enjoying the best season of her prep career.
“She wasn’t in our top 10 last year for cross country, but she’s been making a steady improvement and she’s been working so hard,” Karabinus said.
“She’s really been pushing me in workouts the last month and she’s been really encouraging. She’s been like, ‘Come on, you can be how you used to be. You can have a good season.’”
And Karabinus has assumed a leadership role as Schuster has taken care of his mother.
Schuster figured his athletes knew the magnitude of Thursday’s meet. So he allowed Karabinus to make sure the team did its best during practice and was mentally prepared in its quest of a regional title.
“A lot of times coming into a big meet like this when you’ve been one of the better teams in the region this season, a tendency for coaches is to over-coach them and try to do too much,” Schuster said.
“I sat back and let Ariel take over the last week or so. I think it worked out.”
Following the awards ceremony, Schuster joined his runners for a team photo. As the runners huddled together at the finish line, Schuster lay on his right side in front of those kneeling and popped off his sunglasses as some parents took pictures.
Then Schuster remembered how his team won a regional title when he was a high school senior. His mother was the first person he called following that race.
On Thursday, “I think the first person that was looking down and the first person I talked to after we won was my mom,” Schuster said.
Three other local females will join Osbourn Park at the Nov. 8 Group AAA state meet.
Gar-Field junior Lindsi Arrington finished sixth (19:35) and Battlefield’s Julia Zewe was eighth (19:44). Potomac sophomore Debra Baner earned her second straight all-region finish by placing 12th (19:51).