OP: 'We came, we saw, we conquered'

LYNCHBURG – The Latin version of the phrase “We came, we saw, we conquered” were the words on the banner hung in Osbourn Park’s corner of the Tolsma Track Center.
Living up to those words would have been a tall order for the Osbourn Park girls’ track team.
It lost four of its top athletes to graduation and surrendered its Cedar Run title to Battlefield at the Feb. 9 district meet.
Yet despite an inexperienced cast of athletes, the Yellow Jackets remain queens of the Northwest Region.
Osbourn Park won its third straight regional championship on Friday thanks to Kayla Tyrrell’s 500-meter dash victory, Ariel Karabinus’s 1600-meter run win and 3200-meter run runner-up finish and victories in the 800-relay and 1600-relay.
“We’re really excited,” Tyrrell said. “All the coaches were telling us we were a young team, but we were still good. We were working toward this meet all season. We wanted this.”
It was an accomplishment that seemed impossible after Osbourn Park lost jumper Peyton Alston, hurdler Michelle Ferguson, middle distance runner Bethany Hyter and jumper, hurdler and middle distance runner Brittany Hyter to graduation last spring.
Bethany Hyter anchored the Yellow Jackets’ 1600-relay team to a state title as a junior and won the Group AAA state title in the 500 last year.
Only Tyrrell and Karabinus returned as proven athletes. Tyrrell won the district meet during cross country season and Karabinus has consistently provided quality finishes in cross country and indoor and outdoor track.
The challenge for Osbourn Park’s coaching staff was breaking in a new crop of athletes.
And those athletes showed they were up to the challenges in the postseason.
Freshman Breanna Walker finished fifth in the 55-meter dash (7.41). Walker also anchored Osbourn Park’s 1600-relay team and ran on its 800-relay squad.
Freshman Abby Boepple and sophomore Lauren McGowan also ran strong legs on the 1600-relay.
Tialei Waikiki and Amanda Nocera, two returnees from last season, gave Osbourn Park points as well.
Waikiki placed fifth in the 55-meter hurdles (9.13) to qualify for the Group AAA state meet and Nocera ran on the 800-relay.
Those finishes helped the Yellow Jackets record 65 points, 12 more than second place Colonial Forge.
“I thought we had enough good kids coming back, but we were just so inexperienced,” Osbourn Park coach Mike Feldman said. “With the weather we’ve had this year, our first meet of the year, we were changing diapers.
“They really didn’t understand the scope of the program they were in and the responsibility and what it took to compete.
“Losing the district by six points was tough. We were short-handed, but our kids ran really well. [On Friday] they really stepped up.”
Potomac finished third in the girls’ standings with 50 points.
Panthers senior Pearl Bickersteth jumped 5-08 ¼ to win the high jump.
Teammate Yvonne Amegashie took second in the 55 (7.29) and won the 300 (40.58).
Gar-Field totaled 40 points to finish fourth and Hylton recorded 37 to finish fifth.
Stonewall Jackson senior Damien Thigpen won the 55 (6.33) and 300-meter dash (35.13). He also helped the Raiders’ 800-relay team win in 1:32.10.
With two outdoor state titles to his credit, Thigpen will try to win an indoor championship at next week’s state meet.
“His starts in the 55 could be better,” Raiders coach Deon Taylor said. “He was more relaxed in the finals than he was in the semis, but that could just be pressure.
“I don’t know where he’s at in the 300, but it’s nice to have a tough race to see where he’s at. This is his strongest effort in the indoor season going into the outdoor season.”
Forest Park and Stonewall Jackson were the top local finishers in the boys’ standings. Both earned 38 points.
NOTE: Osbourn Park senior Paul DeVito will sign a letter-of-intent on Monday to run track at Georgia Tech.
DeVito was all-state in the 55-meter hurdles during the 2008 indoor track season.
He has not competed this season due to a bone bruise in his right ankle, but hopes to compete during outdoor track.
RESULTS
LOCAL TOP EIGHT FINISHERS ONLY
GIRLS
Team scores: 1. Osbourn Park 65, 3. Potomac 50, 4. Gar-Field 40.
55-meter dash: 1. Genevieve Johnson (Battlefield) 7.26, 2. Yvonne Amegashie (Potomac) 7.29, 4. Amira Idris (Hylton) 7.38, 5. Breanna Walker (Osbourn Park) 7.41, 6. Francesca McClaude (Gar-Field) 7.48, 7. Hope Flomo (Stonewall Jackson) 7.48.
300-meter dash: 1. Yvonne Amegashie (Potomac) 40.58, 5. Virginia Hill (Battlefield) 43.21, 6. Hope Flomo (Stonewall Jackson) 43.53, 8. Amanda Nocera (Osbourn Park) 43.94.
500-meter dash: 1. Kayla Tyrrell (Osbourn Park) 1:16.68, 3. Brianna Krumholz (Forest Park) 1:20.09, 4. Sydney Morris (Hylton) 1:20.43, 8. Shannen Daly (Hylton) 1:24.80.
1,000-meter run: 3. Breiana White (Hylton) 3:03.98, 4. Diana Davis (Forest Park) 3:10.55, 6. Michelle Britto (Woodbridge) 3:14.02, 8. Brandy Wybersky (Osbourn Park) 3:14.69.
1600-meter run: 1. Ariel Karabinus (Osbourn Park) 5:09.96, 4. Lindsi Arrington (Gar-Field) 5:22.19, 8. Ashley Wybersky (Osbourn Park) 5:34.68.
3200-meter run: 2. Ariel Karabinus (Osbourn Park) 11:27.47, 7. Debra Baner (Potomac) 11:50.29, 8. Lindsi Arrington (Gar-Field) 11:58.90.
55-meter hurdles: 2. Francesca McClaude (Gar-Field) 8.79, 3. Eboni Strawder (Potomac) 8.89, 5. Tialei Waikiki (Osbourn Park) 9.13, 6. Nikkisha Walker (Battlefield) 9.16, 8. Ivy Mumo (Battlefield) 9.20.
800-relay: 1. Osbourn Park 1:46.38, 4. Battlefield 1:50.61, 7. Potomac 1:51.17, 8. Gar-Field 1:51.25.
1600-relay: 1. Osbourn Park 4:06.45, 3. Hylton 4:11.09, 5. Forest Park 4:15.93, 8. Gar-Field 4:22.81.
3200-relay: 3. Osbourn Park 9:55.65, 4. Forest Park 9:57.37, 5. Hylton 10:01.81, 8. Woodbridge 10:35.86.
High jump: 1. Pearl Bickersteth (Potomac) 5-08 ¼, 6. Celina Vanegas (Gar-Field) 4-10.
Pole vault: 3. Celina Vanegas (Gar-Field) 9-06, 4. Brea Zeise (Battlefield) 8-06, 8. Meredith Nelson (Woodbridge) 7-00.
Long jump: 2. Celina Vanegas (Gar-Field) 16-05 ¾, 5. Lauren Coleman (Potomac) 16-02, 6. Francesca McClaude (Gar-Field) 16-00, 8. Dominique Evans (Battlefield) 15-10.
Triple jump: 1. Amira Idris (Hylton) 36-11 ½, 2. Lauren Coleman (Potomac) 35-00 ¾, 7. Francesca McClaude (Gar-Field) 33-10, 8. Dominique Evans (Battlefield) 33-09 ¼.
Shot put: 4. Drema Khraibani (Freedom) 32-08.
BOYS
55-meter dash: 1. Damien Thigpen (Stonewall Jackson) 6.33, 5. Dayne Mullins (Hylton) 6.53, 7. Gary Schlesinger (Forest Park) 6.70.
300-meter dash: 1. Damien Thigpen (Stonewall Jackson) 35.13, 7. Devin Brewer (Potomac) 36.95.
500-meter dash: 5. Sebastian Paniagua (Battlefield) 1:09.43, 7. Dev’von Anderson (Gar-Field) 1:10.14, 8. Arin Johnson (Woodbridge) 1:10.63.
1,000-meter run: 5. Nathan Moyer (Battlefield) 2:41.01, 6. Matthew Shaughnessy (Battlefield) 2:41.28.
1600-meter run: 4. Nolan Compton (Osbourn Park) 4:33.86.
3200-meter run: 6. Richard Arena (Osbourn Park) 10:11.29.
55-meter hurdles: 2. Devin Brewer (Potomac) 7.80, 5. Iric Harris (Hylton) 8.06, 6. Clinton Burrell (Gar-Field) 8.17, 7. James Sung (Battlefield) 8.27.
800-relay: 1. Stonewall Jackson 1:32.10, 3. Forest Park 1:33.54, 8. Osbourn Park 1:35.50.
1600-relay: 6. Battlefield 3:33.86, 7. Woodbridge 3:34.60, 8. Gar-Field 3:34.89.
3200-relay: 4. Battlefield 8:21.02, 5. Forest Park 8:35.35.
High jump: 4. Derrick Knight (Gar-Field) 6-00, 6. Brian Scott (Forest Park) 5-10, 7. Kevin Wheeler (Hylton) 5-10.
Pole vault: 1. John Brennan (Forest Park) 14-00, 2. Stuart Shotwell (Forest Park) 13-06.
Long jump: 3. Byron Sintim (Battlefield) 21-01 ½, 4. Lavaughn Williams (Forest Park) 20-07, 6. Clinton Burrell (Gar-Field) 20-04 ½.
Triple jump: 2. Kevin Parks (Stonewall Jackson) 43-09 ½, 4. Bryce Miller (Gar-Field) 41-08, 5. David Burnham (Battlefield) 41-07 ½, 7. Anthony Grady (Hylton) 41-02.
Shot put: 1. Isaiah Simmons (Woodbridge) 54-03, 7. Tyler Smith (Battlefield) 44-05.