Mallard Creek and Nyan Brown will continue to fight against the ongoing track and field controversy in North Carolina. The Mavericks filed an official appeal with the State Board of Education with the expectation that their disqualification at the high school track championships will be overturned.
They are asking to be named as co-champions alongside the Falcons of Jordan.
This XXX.
Nyan Brown released a statement about his celebration.
Mallard Creek High School defeated Jordan High School in the 4×400 relay to win the Class 6A Boys Track and Field State Championships in North Carolina. It was the final event of the meet. The Mavericks crossed the finish line in first place by a large margin. Their victory in the 4×400 gave them enough points to claim the top spot over the Falcons in the overall standings.
However, the result did not hold.
Senior Nyan Brown ran the anchor leg of the 4×400 for Mallard Creek. He slowed up right at the finish line (with a sizable lead) and held up his hand in celebration. The track and field officials hit him with an “unsportsmanlike conduct” penalty. The penalty led the Mavericks to be disqualified.
Jordan was crowned as the state champion as a result of the disqualification. Mallard Creek finished in second place because its victory in the 4×400 was overturned. It was a bogus ruling. Especially considering the other athletes who celebrated in very similar fashion throughout the weekend.
Brown released the following statement about the disappointing result:
“On May 16, at the NCHSAA 8A State Championship, I ran the final 300m hurdles race of my high school career and broke the long-standing state record set in 2007 by Spencer Adams. The previous record was 36.04. I ran 35.96.
Right before settling into the blocks, I remember thinking to myself, IDang, I can’t believe I got it. I can’t believe I did it.’ I truly believed I was about to break the state record.
When I crossed the line, my celebration was loud and emotional. I celebrated with my teammate and dapped up my opponent because it was one of the proudest moments of my life on the track. That moment later went viral, along with footage of me raising my hand as the anchor of our 4×400 relay.
That relay mattered deeply to me because a win would have secured our team’s fifth consecutive state championship. I wanted that for my teammates more than anything. They worked incredibly hard for every point this season, and we had seniors on this team who had never experienced winning a state championship.
To my teammates: Y’all are my brothers, and I could not be more grateful to compete alongside you.
I also want to thank my coaches, competitors, and everyone who has supported me throughout my career. Anyone who has competed against me over the last 9 years knows that I have always competed with respect for the sport and respect for my opponents. I would never intentionally taunt another athlete.
While I am disappointed in the final decision, I believe this moment creates an opportunity for a larger conversation within track and field about allowing young athletes to celebrate major accomplishments. Celebration is part of sports, especially at championship events. Throughout the week, athletes across classifications celebrated their victories in many different ways, many of which are publicly available online. I am happy for those athletes, and I believe they should be able to celebrate those moments.
I will continue learning from this experience, and I hope conversations like this help create clearer expectations for how young athletes can express joy in meaningful moments.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this experience. I hope you will continue to support me next season as a member of the NC State Track & Field team.”
— Nyan Brown via Instagram
Part of the controversy also stems from an alleged warning. “Alleged” being the key word.
North Carolina track and field officials claim that they warned Brown about his celebrations after he yelled in excitement after setting the state record in the 300-meter hurdles earlier in the day. His was disqualified in the 4×400 because it was his second violation.
Mallard Creek head coach Sam Willoughby claims otherwise. Brown was never warned.
I just spoke with Mallard Creek's track coach after the DQ that cost them the state title.
— DaShawn Brown (@DaShawnWSOC9) May 18, 2026
Sam Willoughby said there is something he'd like to clarify.
"He was never warned."
Mallard Creek has since sent a letter to the NCHSAA, seeking an appeal.
The story, at 5! @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/pAO8Yiv4u8
Regardless of what actually happened, the Mavericks were pushed down the podium because of the penalty and subsequent disqualification. The North Carolina High School Athletic Association already denied their initial appeal despite the hypocritical double standard for other programs.
Mallard Creek will continue to fight against the North Carolina high school track ruling.
The NCHSAA released the following statement on Tuesday morning. It will not overturn the disqualification. It will not reinstate Mallard Creek as co-champions. Nor will it comment further.
“Over the past several days, the conclusion of the 8A Men’s Track and Field Championship has generated significant discussion across North Carolina and beyond. The NCHSAA recognizes and understands there is deep disappointment experienced by the student-athletes, coaches, and the school community involved.
As previously stated, officiating decisions made during competition are judgment calls administered by certified meet officials under NFHS playing rules and NCHSAA rules relative to unsporting behavior and actions, and are considered final decisions. The Association appreciates the efforts of the officials who are tasked with applying and enforcing those rules during our championship events.“
— NCHSAA
Meanwhile, the Mavericks are not done fighting. Mallard Creek filed a formal appeal to the North Carolina State Board of Education’s Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board on late Monday evening. The athletic appeals board is established by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mo Green. This latest grievance will be heard as soon as this week.
It is important to reiterate the grounds for appeal. Mallard Creek believes the judgement ruling on Brown’s “unsportsmanlike conduct” was an overreaction. The Mavericks also contend that they were not previously warned about behavior. They also point to countless other examples of similar celebrations at the North Carolina high school track championships that did not result in a disqualification.
With that being said, coach Willoughby does not want to be the victim. His team did not perform well enough in the other events. The meet shouldn’t’ve come down to the final event in the first place. He is willing to accept the title of co-champions. Mallard Creek is not calling for Jordan’s title to be revoked.