‘Disbelief’: Mallard Creek High School files appeal after taunting call costs team championship
A runner on Mallard Creek High School’s track team crossed the finish line of the 4x400 race with his hand held high -- but the one move ended up costing his team the state title. Channel 9 Sports Reporter DaShawn Brown spoke with Mallard Creek’s head coach, Samuel Willoughby, and he said he couldn’t believe the call. In a split second, a moment of joy turned to confusion.
The Mallard Creek boys’ track team was strides away from their fifth state title, when senior Nyan Brown was disqualified for unsportsmanlike behavior. “Once I saw the official throw the flag up, I couldn’t believe it, I was in disbelief,” Willoughby said. Going into the relay, the team just needed two points to lock in the state championship.
“We needed to get at least fifth place, we were seeded number one,” Willoughby said. During the meet, Brown also broke a near 20-year state record and set a personal best in the 300-meter hurdles and reacted after crossing the finish line. Willoughby says the same official who called the unsportsmanlike behavior said she warned Brown after the hurdles race.
“I know that’s the message people are going to say is if he was warned before, why did he do something like this again? He was never warned,” Willoughby said. “He never did anything to suggest that he was showing up another individual.
He was happy for himself. For her to say that was a warning, it’s mind-blowing,” Willoughby said. I just spoke with Mallard Creek's track coach after the DQ that cost them the state title.