The Colonial Forge High School boys track and field team finished the Virginia High School League season with a bang, winning the Class 6 state championship earlier this month, becoming the first team in Stafford County history to do so.
However, four of the Eagles’ top athletes didn’t stop there.
Forge’s 400 meter relay team flexed its muscles for the country to see last Sunday, winning a national championship at the 2025 New Balance Nationals at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
Forge’s senior quartet of Malik Dark, Brian Harris, Matt Fisher and Owen Sharlow finished with a time of 40.69 seconds, edging Flanagan (Fla.), which clocked in at 40.72 and improving on the state record (40.97) it set in the Class 6 meet.
Eagles head coach Sean Hill said the group was motivated after a runner-up finish at last year’s national competition.
“The amount of work this group put in since last year was second to none,” he said. “From the preseason all the way until June, they bought into the vision. Their motto was, ‘Why not us?’”
Sharlow, who runs the anchor leg, believes it was the squad’s ability to persevere through injuries and other setbacks together while still working toward its goal that set it apart from everyone else.
“Our team was built brick by brick, and we’ve been together for four years,” he said. “Most of the time, you don’t find that. I’ve been through everything with these guys, and we pick each other up whenever it’s needed. We can also criticize each other with the intention of being constructive and getting better, and we don’t take it personally. Most teams can’t do that.”
“We’ve really been together since middle school,” said Harris, who’s also a state champion in the triple jump. “Because of that, we have more chemistry than a lot of other teams.”
Fisher touched on the mental and spiritual aspects of the squad’s success.
“This sport is 80% mental, 20% physical,” he said. “Praying every single day and speaking it into existence has been a big key to our success. Each of us has dealt with more than one injury or setback, some worse than others. I was hurt recently, and changing my mindset to knowing that God has my back no matter what is what carried me through and to this point.”
Hill believes this group has left a legacy that will never be forgotten.
“These types of accomplishments don’t come often,” he said. “This group of young men are a once-in-a-lifetime group, and they’ve set a standard and raised the expectations for the ones who follow them.”
