Mallard Creek regains state track title after disqualification overturned

A five-finger salute at the finish line in Greensboro cost Mallard Creek a state title, then gave it back. After an appeals board overturned Nyan Brown’s disqualification in the 4x400 relay, the NCHSAA declared Mallard Creek a co-8A men’s track and field state champion with C.E. Jordan.

The dispute began May 16 during the state track and field championships in Greensboro, when Brown crossed first in the relay and raised his hand with five fingers extended. Officials treated the gesture as unsportsmanlike conduct under the NFHS rule against taunting and flagrant behavior. Mallard Creek said Brown was signaling five straight track titles for the program, including three outdoor and two indoor championships, and Brown said he did not mean to taunt another athlete. The disqualification also stripped the Mavericks of the points they needed to win what would have been the school’s fifth consecutive state championship.

Mallard Creek filed its appeal May 18. On June 2, the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Appeals Board, administered by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, vacated the disqualification. Later that day, the NCHSAA Board of Directors met in emergency session and declared Mallard Creek and C.E. Jordan co-champions of the 2026 NCHSAA 8A Men’s Track and Field State Championship. The association also named Mallard Creek and Hough co-champions in the men’s 4x400-meter relay.

The ruling turned a viral controversy into a shared finish. The moment drew nearly 9 million views on X, a sign of how quickly a call made on the track in Greensboro became a statewide debate over sportsmanship, intent and the power of post-meet review. Mallard Creek said it was not trying to take the title away from C.E. Jordan, only to overturn the disqualification and have both schools recognized. Principal Jared Thompson said the school was grateful for the decision, while NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker said the matter had been emotional for the student-athletes, coaches, schools and communities involved, but that the resolution allowed the athletes’ accomplishments to be recognized.

For Guilford County, the outcome is a reminder that state championships can hinge not only on times and place finishes, but on how officials interpret a gesture and how quickly an appeals process can rewrite the record after the final race.