Ostroski's Return Is A Boost For Plant Girls Team

TAMPA - The Plant girls basketball team received a huge injection of inspirational motivation before last week's district tournament.

Senior center Kaitlyn Ostroski was cleared to resume play on Jan. 25 - just six weeks after completely tearing her right ACL in a game against Gaither.

"My doctor said normally when someone tears their ACL it's still attached to the two bones and you can just see the tear," said Ostroski, who decided to put off surgery until the summer. "But on my MRI, it was like I never even had one. It was completely gone."

With her basketball career seemingly over, Ostroski began pondering the possibility of competing in the high jump this spring.

"I thought basketball was out of the picture," she said. "And when my doctor told me it's rare but possible to be able to run and jump and do things vertically; just no major lateral movement, I started rehabbing with the mindset to get back for track."

But weeks into her rehab, Ostroski's trust in her knee grew and she got the idea of playing basketball again.

"When I went back to my doctor, I told him what I was wanting to do and if that was OK with him," Ostroski said. "And he was like, 'Go for it. What do you have to lose?' "

Ostroski's first game back was against Hillsborough in last Friday's district semifinal. She scored four points in a limited role. The next night she scored two in the championship win against Jefferson.

"It's like a fairy tale," Plant coach Carrie Mahon said. "All I can tell you is that she is in the .1 percent of athletes who has the physique, motivation and work ethic to pull it off."

Plant, which was undefeated before Ostroski's injury, lost four of its first five games without him. But the Panthers (23-4) have regrouped to win 11 straight heading into tonight's Class 5A region quarterfinal against Dunedin (17-7).

"The girls had to make adjustments on several levels," Mahon said. "No doubt, some have taken more on than others."

One of those players is 5-foot-8 sophomore Michelle Taylor, who averages 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.6 steals and 3.2 assists per game.

"Michelle has had to grow up quick," Mahon said. "But she was physically and emotionally ready."

Ganice Macho has developed into a consistent offensive threat, while De'Erika Brown, Antoinette Wilson and Rebecca Marve have picked up the slack in the post, Mahon said.

Ostroski's return will benefit Plant on the court, but the emotional boost she already has provided the Panthers is more important.

Still, Ostroski knows her decision comes with risks.

"There's nothing there right now," she said of her missing ACL. "The brace is my main support."

So why jeopardize further injury for a handful of basketball games?

"Because," Ostroski said, "I love the sport, I love my coach and I love my teammates."