Viral Mallard Creek track DQ overturned by appeals board; Mavericks named co-champs

The viral disqualification of Mallard Creek High School track athlete Nyan Brown in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 8A track state championship has been overturned. Mallard Creek is now the co-8A state champion with Jordan High School.

The NCHSAA’s Board of Directors convened for an emergency meeting on Tuesday morning to confirm the decision, which was passed down from the NC State Board of Education's Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board. The board voted to declare Mallard Creek and Jordan as the co-8A state champions.

On Tuesday night, Brown posted a message on his Instagram.

"THANK YOU," Brown wrote. "I want to thank my family, coaches, and everyone across the globe who has shown so much love and support for me and my teammates over the last few weeks.

"It has been incredible. Although I have gotten a lot of attention, this decision isn't about me. It is about our team. We knew a fifth state team championship was possible coming into the season, and we earned it."

Brown thanked Mallard Creek head track coach Sam Willoughby, Mallard Creek principal Dr. Jared Thompson and Mallard Creek athletic director Bryant Bailey for their support.

"We did it, y'all," Brown wrote.

Such a decision was unprecedented. The NCHSAA has never named co-champions retroactively. It's only ever happened with a true tie in a contest. For example, Salisbury and Lake Norman Charter's boys track teams finished as co-champions due to a tie in last month's 4A championship. The NCHSAA also named the state basketball finalists co-champions in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic kicked into gear between the regional finals and state championships.

This was the first widely publicized decision made by the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board. The appeals board was created as part of House Bill 91, which altered oversight of high school sports in North Carolina. It serves as the final step in any high school athletics appeal.

Here's the statement from the NCHSAA:

Following a decision by the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board administered by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors convened in a special meeting on Tuesday morning to consider the matter involving the conclusion of the 2026 8A Men’s Track and Field State Championship. The Appeals Board vacated the disqualification from the 4×400 relay. After review and discussion, the NCHSAA Board of Directors voted to declare Mallard Creek High School and C.E. Jordan High School as co-champions of the 2026 NCHSAA 8A Men’s Track and Field State Championship. The Board also voted to recognize Mallard Creek High School and Hough High School as co-champions in the men’s 4×400-meter relay. The NCHSAA appreciates the work of the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction throughout this process. The Association thanks the student-athletes, coaches, school administrators, officials, and member schools involved, including Mallard Creek High School, for using the appeals process provided under state law and NCHSAA policy. That process is designed to promote fairness by enabling informed review of officiating decisions that result in disqualification or suspension. “We recognize that this situation has been emotional for the student-athletes, coaches, schools, and communities involved,” said NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker. “At the center of this matter are young people who have invested countless hours into their sport and their team. We appreciate the work of the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board and respect the process that led to today’s outcome. We are pleased that this matter has reached a resolution and that the accomplishments of the student-athletes involved can be recognized.” The NCHSAA remains committed to fair competition, sportsmanship, and the educational mission of interscholastic athletics. The Association recognizes the efforts of all those who participated in the review process.

Jordan High School declined to comment on the decision.

Mallard Creek principal Dr. Jared Thompson released a statement on behalf of the school after the decision was made.

We are grateful for the decision of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) Interscholastic Athletics Appeals Board and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), and appreciate the opportunity to fully participate in the appeals process as it was intended. We are immensely proud of our Boys Track & Field team and honored to be recognized as 8A State Co-Champions. This distinction reflects not only their extraordinary effort and achievement, but also the strength, unity, and character of our school community.

We extend our sincere appreciation to the Appeals Board panel members, Brad Alford, Commissioner Que Tucker, and the NCHSAA for their thoughtful deliberation, professionalism, and commitment to ensuring a fair and principled outcome. We are grateful for the opportunity to advocate on behalf of our student-athletes through a process that allowed for careful review and consideration of this matter.

We also offer our gratitude to the many individuals and organizations – both within our local community and across the nation – who offered their support to Mallard Creek High School during this process. We commend all student-athletes who competed in the State Championship meet. Their performances exemplify North Carolina high school athletics at its best.

Mallard Creek High School remains committed to upholding the highest standards in cultivating student-athletes who excel in both competition and character.

Jared Thompson, Ed.D.

Principal, Mallard Creek High School

This story is developing. Stay tuned for updates.

Mallard Creek athlete Nyan Brown's celebratory signal in the 4x400 relay initially cost his team the 8A state championship. The video of the incident, captured by HighSchoolOT, accumulated over 10 million views across social media platforms and drew the attention of nationally prominent sports commentators.

Mallard Creek boys track and field was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct after winning the 4x400 relay in the final event of the day. Had the result stayed, the Mavericks would have won the team state championship. Instead, they remained in second place.You can read the… pic.twitter.com/fdWIAW1UXT

In the video, Brown can be seen holding his hand up in celebration right before crossing the line. The action was deemed a disqualifier by an official near the finish line. Without the points from the final relay, Mallard Creek finished second in the 8A championship meet, which was won by Jordan High School of Durham. A win in the 4x400 would’ve lifted Mallard Creek to an 8A state championship.

After filing an initial grievance with the NCHSAA, Mallard Creek leadership decided to submit an appeal to the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board. This board is established by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mo Green.

The appeals board is made up of retired professional educators with experience overseeing high school athletics programs, including former superintendents and athletic directors. Appeals are heard by three-member panels. For this case, the panel members included Dr. Rodney Shotwell (Retired Superintendent, Rockingham County Schools), Mr. Robert Logan (Retired Superintendent, Scotland County Schools), and Ms. Alice Lyons (Retired Principal, Heritage Collegiate Leadership Academy).

Last Thursday, the panel considered statements and evidence presented by the NCHSAA and Mallard Creek High School for approximately two hours.

The result of the appeal hearing was sent to the NCHSAA Board of Directors.

The emergency Board of Directors meeting began at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Most of the 19 total members appeared on a Zoom call. The meeting went into a closed session at 9:11 a.m. At 9:54 a.m., the meeting was pulled out of closed session, and a motion to adjourn was made and successfully voted on.

As the bulk of the meeting was conducted in closed session, we did not know what it was about at the time.

Here is the statement from NC DPI:

The Interscholastic Athletics Appeals Board has issued its decision in the appeal submitted by Mallard Creek High School regarding the disqualification of its team from the 4x400-meter relay during the 2026 North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 8A Track and Field State Championship.

After careful consideration of the evidence presented by the NCHSAA and Mallard Creek, the appeals panel concluded that Mallard Creek had presented clear and convincing evidence that the student-athlete did not engage in unsporting or unacceptable conduct as defined in the track and field competition rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations. As a result, the panel has vacated the penalty of unsportsmanlike conduct and remanded the matter back to the NCHSAA for further proceedings consistent with that decision.

Any decisions regarding the reallocation of points from the 4x400-meter relay or its impact on the results of the 2026 8A Track and Field State Championship are beyond the scope of this appeal and are appropriately resolved by the NCHSAA in accordance with the Association’s rules and regulations.

The Interscholastic Athletics Appeals Board wishes to express its respect and appreciation for all officials working in our state’s high school athletics programs and the enormous responsibility they carry to enforce gameplay rules in a fair and consistent manner. Nothing in the reviewing panel's decision should be read as a criticism of the officials involved in this matter or the work of officials more broadly. Furthermore, the decision should not be interpreted as diminishing the authority of athletic officials to enforce sportsmanship standards during athletic competition. The panel's decision was limited to the unique facts presented in this appeal and the specific evidentiary record before it.

The Appeals Board encourages all student-athletes, coaches and parents to respect the decisions of game officials and to use appropriate channels when they wish to challenge them.

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