RICHMOND, VA – The Fork Union Military Academy outdoor track and field team capped off a remarkable season with a hard-fought fourth-place finish at the 2024 VISAA State Championships held at Sports Backers Stadium.
Senior standout Harry Momolu led the charge, once again dominating the hurdle events. He repeated as champion in both the 110-meter hurdles (14.70) and 300-meter hurdles (39.93). Momolu also anchored the 4x400 relay team to a bronze medal finish (3:30.45), earning him well-deserved Most Valuable Runner honors. These victories added two more gold medals to his impressive collection, bringing his career total to an astonishing 10 postseason titles in just two years.
"We continued our tradition of outstanding performances at the State meet with a very competitive fourth-place finish," said head coach Winston Brown. "The past two weeks have been phenomenal. We saw nine season bests this week along, and several underclassmen highlighted their potential for next year."
The future of Fork Union's track program looks bright with the emergence of several talented underclassmen. Eighth-grader
Kaydan Whiteside defied expectations, placing fifth in the highly competitive 400-meter dash (51.28). Freshman
Alex Jackson also impressed, shaving off two seconds to secure a fifth-place finish in the 300-meter hurdles (42.98). Freshman
David Eaton further solidified his potential with two scoring performances and season-best times in the distance events.
Coach Brown highlighted the consistent improvement shown by several upperclassmen. Meyki Shepard and
Shaun Matthews displayed impressive growth throughout the season, setting themselves up for even greater success next year. Distance runner Jadyn Pieron exemplified his dedication with a significant 20-second drop in his 3200-meter run.
The leadership and dedication of seniors like Daouda Niang were instrumental in the team's success. Niang narrowly missed the gold medal in the discus with a throw of 155-feet to finish second. In the State meet a year ago, Niang finished the season with a personal best of 122-feet, nine inches, and improved to 160-feet, 10 inches his senior campaign.
While the team will undoubtedly miss the graduating seniors, Coach Brown expressed confidence in the returning talent and the potential of the underclassmen. "We will certainly miss
Harry Momolu and his remarkable contributions," Brown said. "He has been much more than just numbers on the board."
Fork Union collected 55 points to place the squad fourth overall, placing ahead of fifth-place finisher Collegiate and Norfolk Academy, who finished sixth. Woodberry Forest was named champion with 129.50 points, while St. Christopher's (115) and John Paul the Great (71) stood second and third on the podium, respectively.
The Academy congratulates the outdoor track and field program on a fantastic season!
