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As Good as Gold: Lawson Jacobs 6A 400-Meter State Champion

As Good as Gold: Lawson Jacobs 6A 400-Meter State Champion
Jasmine Nguyen

Klein Forest senior Lawson Jacobs landed the State Championship title in the 400-meter sprint with a time of 46.85 seconds.

“Getting my first gold in an individual race feels like a crown, like icing on a cake,” Lawson said. “It feels good to look back on everything I’ve done in my high school career and be where I’m at now.”

Last year, Lawson took home silver in the same event at State. With dreams of gold on his mind, he made it a point to trust his training this year.

“I came in with a different mindset,” Lawson said. “I strategized my race and put faith in God. I focused on executing my race and coming out on top. When I looked at the board and saw my time, I tried to stay composed, but inside, my heart was beating fast. I looked for my parents in the stands and saw them, and everything felt right in that moment.”

Lawson knows he couldn’t have made it this far on his own.

”My mom and dad are at every event I compete in, making sure I’m on the right path,” Lawson said. “My coaches mean everything to me—they put faith in me. I look up to my coaches and aspire to be like them. It’s such a blessing to have people who make a big impact on my life the way they do. My teammates support me and uplift me all the time. I have a good support system that has helped me become mentally strong, and I think that’s what has put me ahead of a lot of other kids.”

With National Coach of the Year Remon Smith in his corner and a commitment to his sport, Lawson’s greatest asset has been his determination and grit.

“The one thing I can tell you about Lawson is that he’s one of the most mentally tough kids I’ve coached,” Coach Smith said. “He goes through the grind with me, then leaves here and goes to work a physically demanding job for 5-6 hours. That gives you an idea of the mental and physical toughness that he has, and it did well for him during the season because we needed him to be mentally tough to lead us.”

Lawson says his greatest purpose, though, is not just to win medals. It’s to inspire younger kids to stay on the right track. 

“To do what I’m doing, it takes discipline. I locked in on track and tried not to hang out around the wrong crowd. I think if you associate with sensible and successful people, you should be successful in everything you’re doing,” Lawson said. “This is who I do it for—the young kids that might be looking up to me. That’s why I aspire to do better and be better. Being someone they can look up to makes me feel like I’m doing something right.”

He also wants kids to know to never give up and to do things with confidence.

“When I started my high school career, I wasn’t one of the speediest kids. It took almost three years to hit what I needed to in order to get scholarships,” Lawson said. “I want young kids to know that just because they’re not fast right away or not good at something in the beginning doesn’t mean they should give up. Stay with it, put the work in, and the results will come. People have natural talent, but I know that hard work outdoes talent. Nothing is given to us, we have to work for it if we want it.”

Lawson’s hard work paid off this season, and he’s ending his time at Klein Forest with a heart filled with gratitude.

“Klein Forest has done a lot for me—there’s great coaching, great staff, and a great principal,” Lawson said. “There are role models all across the board. I wouldn’t be who I am today without Klein Forest.”

High school track season may be over, but Lawson runs year-round. In two weeks, Lawson will begin training for his next big meet: the USATF Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships hosted in July in College Station. 

In the fall, Lawson plans to attend the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on a track scholarship.

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