Mallard Creek wins appeal after taunting call costs team state championship

CHARLOTTE — The Mallard Creek High School boys’ track team and Jordan High School have been officially named co-state champions by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. This final decision comes weeks after an initial penalty for unsportsmanlike behavior had cost Mallard Creek the title.

The reversal follows an earlier ruling that disqualified Mallard Creek, resulting in Jordan High School, who had finished second, being named the sole winner. Mallard Creek subsequently appealed the initial penalty.

Senior Nyan Brown, a member of the Mallard Creek team, was initially disqualified for making a gesture as he crossed the finish line. This disqualification led to the championship being awarded solely to Jordan High School. An independent appeals board later reviewed the penalty for Brown’s gesture. The board determined that the gesture did not warrant the penalty, leading to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association naming both Mallard Creek and Jordan as co-champions.

Full 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.

Statement from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:

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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