Whether it’s the school system and the activities of the students or the everyday life of residents in the Latimer County community of Wilburton, the foundation of success is achieved through grit and determination.  And by his day-to-day commitment, Christian Gockel is a proven example of Wilburton.

The 2021 senior leaves a legacy of achievement made possible taking his talents from good to great. This spring while competing in track, Gockel left an impressive footprint by qualifying for the Class 2A state championship in a not-so-common combination of events including the 400m run, 4x100m relay and long jump plus the strong man event, shot put.

“It’s not the normal event package,” replied Gockel. “When I was a freshman I only threw the shot but after a growth spurt and a lot of intense training, I’ve been able to gain the speed to compete in the long jump and running events.”

By winning individual gold medals in the shot put, long jump and 400m run at regionals plus joining his teammates for a second place finish in the 4x100m relay, Gockel scored points at the Class 2A championships in all four events keeping PA announcers searching for the proper way to pronounce his name.

“It’s GO-kel, the C is silent,” he explained. “I don’t think about it much now since they’ve been doing it since I was in the third grade.”

Christian chose words including motivated and responsible as part of his self-description, but says that being disciplined is what defines his DNA.

“Self-discipline is one of the keys to success that will really help you grow as a person as well as in sports,” said Gockel. “My biggest inspiration for discipline is my mom (Jodi). My father passed away in 2016 and she was left to take care of my sisters and I and she has shown me everyday how to stay strong through life’s struggles.”

An athletic hero on the football and basketball court proudly wearing his purple and white school colors, Gockel simultaneously focused on his academics earning a 4.2 GPA and graduated as the Salutatorian of his senior class at Wilburton. He’ll continue his academic/athletic careers at the collegiate level playing football at Southern Nazarene University while pursuing in physical therapy. 

The words of his basketball coach Gary Lay perhaps define the legacy of Christian Gockel.

“Christian models the definition of his first name as he’s grounded in his faith. He does everything with true grit and determination to make everyone around him better by his efforts,” Lay said with emphasis before smiling. “He’s the kind of young man that every parent wants their son to grow up to be.”