The Portal track and field team had many boys and girls advance to the state meet.

The Lady Panthers also knocked off the defending state champs Montgomery as they won the region title. One of the key members of the team was senior Raashonda Khalil who recently signed a scholarship to attend Brewton Parker in Mount Vernon.

“Raashonda is a determined athlete who worked extremely hard to get to this point,” said coach Cliff Hubbard. “She took on some leadership responsibilities this season and her teammates responded well to her.

“Raashonda earned her scholarship to Brewton Parker by competing every day at practice and performing well in the big moments. Her experience, leadership, and dedication were instrumental in the success of the girls' track program this year.”

“I feel like Brewton Parker is a small school with a similar environment to what we have here at Portal,” Khalil said. “I like the idea that I am not just a number and the professors would know my name and I would know them.

“I feel like with the number of other seniors signing scholarships the younger people in the Portal community see that a college scholarship is possible even at a school our size.”