Seminole alum Osterink is making family proud
When left home for the green lacrosse pastures of Michigan State, he did so with a family legacy in the back of his mind.
The 2016 Seminole High graduate is now a fourth generation Spartan, following in the footsteps first taken by his greatgrandfather, Leonard, who won a letter at MSU as part of the 1937 men’s basketball team.
Osterink brought tears of joy to his family’s eyes last month while helping Michigan State defeat Chapman 10-8 to capture the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association national championship in Salt Lake City.
The Spartans capped their season with an 18-1 record and No. 1 ranking in MCLA, which consists of more than 200 programs competing outside of the NCAA.
“I’m pretty much the last one in the family to keep the legacy alive, so that had a little bit of influence on me,” Osterink said of deciding where to further his education. “Just to be able to go to their alma mater and be able to bring home a national championship is indescribable for me.”
His impressive sophomore season included being one of six MSU players named to the MCLA Division I All-America first team after helping the Spartans claim their first championship.
“It was a life-changing experience, something that doesn’t happen too often,” Osterink said of the way the season ended.
Osterink, listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, accounted for 40 goals and 21 assists through 14 games this season. He was one of four attacking players selected to the MCLA All-America first team.
As a freshman he scored 50 goals and finished with 25 assists to earn All-America honorable mention status in 2017.
Osterink was selected to the Sentinel all-area team as a high school senior in 2016. instead of trying to do too many things at one time,” said Thompson.
Thompson started his career as an assistant at Apopka in 1986 where he coached his daughter,
He took a similar position at Jones following the 1994 season then landed at Evans, where he eventually became head coach in 2003.
Thompson led the Trojans’ boys track and field teams to back-to-back Class 4A state titles as its head coach in 2005 and 2006, becoming the first area program to win two in a row since Seminole in 1992-93 and 1985-86.
Oak Ridge was the last Orange County school to accomplish such a feat when the Pioneers won three in a row from 1980-82.
He also led the Evans’ girls program to six district titles as head coach from 2009-14 before returning to coach the boys team.
“A lot of things are changing now with the sport, which are good, but when you’re trying to do so many events in just one day it makes it hard at my age,” Thompson said.
Thompson coached the Evans football team from 2007-09. He returned to the program at the onset of the 2015 season when abruptly resigned after one year.
The two-time defending national champion Orlando Tampa Volleyball Academy 16-and-under South squad won twice Tuesday to remain on pace for a repeat.
OTVA 16 South defeated teams from Illinois (25-12, 25-17) and Indiana (25-8, 25-18) to improve to 5-0 at the AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships in Orlando. The team, which consists of players from Hagerty, Lake Highland Prep, West Orange, The First Academy, Lake Nona and Dr. Phillips, has swept its first 10 sets in the 59-team tournament at the Orange County Convention Center.
OTVA 16 South plays three matches today beginning at 8 a.m. against a team from Nebraska. They’ll then face a team from Illinois at 10 a.m. before finishing the day against a team from Idaho at 1 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinal and final matches will be moved to Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at noon and 5 p.m., respectively.