Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

He is the champ.

Senior Gavin Barlow finally did it. The LaGrange High track and field star finally claimed a state championship after a long career with the Grangers on Thursday. Barlow captured the 4A state championship in the long jump to become the first state champion track and field athlete from LaGrange High since Andrew Coggins a decade ago.

“I didn’t have a real good jump my first jump, but then came in and just jumped 23 feet on my second one. And that’s all I needed. It was a stress relief because I knew right away it was a good jump,”  Barlow said. “To be apart of Granger history is awesome. It’s hard to put into words.”

Practice makes perfect. He qualified for state as a freshman, falling well short of winning the state championship, before missing qualification in his sophomore and junior years. Not discouraged, Barlow went to the lab and got better.

“Really it was just about going to practice every day and grinding it out,” Barlow said. “That and being in the weight room every day and making it a priority in my life to win a state championship.”

Now, he owns a slice of Granger history. But the senior is done yet. He has eyes on becoming a two-time state champion.

“I have to qualify for the 100m tomorrow and if I qualify for that I will run again on Saturday,” Barlow said. “It has been my goal all year to be a two-time state champ.”

This has been a long time coming for Barlow. He first started doing the long jump over five years ago. It did not always go according to plan, but the end results made it all worth it. Champion, history and legacy will all be attached to Barlow’s name which has been forever etched into LaGrange High lore.