LARGO, Fla. — Reaching 1,000 points as a high school basketball player is a moment to celebrate.
Reaching the milestone as a junior makes it even sweeter.
Largo High’s Mikayla Paschal said she was overtaken with emotion when she recorded her 1,000th point.
“So much emotion. I was crying because I couldn’t believe it,” Paschal said.
Paschal is considered a true team leader, guiding players with lessons she’s learned on the court.
“Passion over emotion. Don’t be too emotional in the game because it’s an aggressive game. Just do you because if you’re too emotional, you’re not going to play how you normally play,” said Paschal.
She hopes to play in college and the WNBA, but she’s also a dedicated student in Largo High’s ExCel magnet program.
“The one word I would use to describe Mikayla is determination,” said assistant principal Diana Dolan. “She’s a very determined young lady. When she sets her mind to something, Mikayla gets it done.”
Paschal brings the same work ethic from the court to the classroom, making honor roll every grading period.
“She can be involved in sports as well as her academics at the same time,” Dolan said. “She manages to balance everything because she knows what she wants to do, she knows where she wants to go. And she makes it happen.”
While Paschal is pursuing an athletic career, she also sees a future in sports medicine.
“I just like helping people in general. I feel like doing it in my sport would be better and I know stuff about it because it’s my sport,” Paschal said.
Her coaches and teachers believe that Paschal has the drive and the dedication to make both happen.
