The Portal boy’s cross-country team finished as region runners up last week at Wilcox County. Coming off a region championship last year, the Panthers came up a bit short but still qualified for the state, which was held in Carrolton on Saturday.

Helping to lead the way was senior Cannon Thompson, who placed fourth in the region with a personal best time.

 “Though my season had a few speed bumps, I really pushed myself to get stronger and improve,” Thompson said. “Every race felt like an opportunity to learn how to run my best, and those lessons came together at sectionals when I ran my PR.

“I am grateful to my coaches and friends for helping us train hard from the start of summer through sectionals. I’m very excited to be heading to state with my team; the competition is on a completely different level, but I am excited to compete and do my best."

“Cannon encompasses the qualities of an ideal cross-country runner,” said coach Jenn Scott. “He has been committed not only in season training but never missed a summer workout. He has the mental toughness to push through hard workouts and races and be a leader for his teammates. 

“Not only does he lead the team through his hard work and dedication, he has also become an advocate in proper nutrition to fuel our runners for their best performance. Cannon has the leadership qualities that make everyone on the team better.”