Potomac’s Baner 14th

By Robert Daski

Published: November 8, 2008

THE PLAINS — Debra Baner flashed her smile when standing at the post-race ceremony with the other top 15 runners from Saturday’s Group AAA girls’ race.
The Potomac sophomore’s 14th place finish gave Baner the first all-state honor of her career and she made sure to enjoy her shining moment.
“It makes you feel good to know you’re up there,” said Baner, who finished in 18:58.
Baner’s finish caps a season where she continues to establish herself as one of the area’s premier distance runners. Her 12th place Octoberfest finish was followed by her ninth place showing a week later at the Albemarle Invitational.
Then came a postseason where Baner was second at the Cardinal District meet, 12th at the Northwest Region meet.
“It feels pretty good,” Baner said. “I’ve wanted to be all-state all year. That’s what I was training for.”
She has something to tell her Prince William Panthers’ teammates when she returns to the hockey rink. Baner missed the team’s game in Richmond to run on Saturday, but gave her teammates a good sendoff.
“I told them good luck,” Baner said.
Baner will balance hockey with indoor track, which begins Monday. She has high goals for track based on her cross country season.
“I want to do the same thing in track I did in cross country,” Baner said.
Ariel Karabinus is turning her attention to track after her final day as a junior cross country athlete was one where she came in 15th (19:00). It is the third straight all-state finish for the Osbourn Park standout.
“I thought I was higher up than I was,” Karabinus said. “I thought I was 12th or something like that. It’s good I got all-state.”
Her finishes may be lower than her sophomore year, but Karabinus continues to be a solid postseason performer. The Cedar Run District and Northwest Region runner-up was a key to Osbourn Park winning the Oct. 30 region meet and qualifying for the state meet.
“I don’t know what I was expecting coming in,” Karabinus said. “I kept working out and kept running. I kept going.
“I try not to think into the past too much. If you keep comparing yourself to how you did in years past, it breaks you down. I was trying to live in the now.”