Mallard Creek Boys Win NCHSAA 4A Team Title

Results

Mallard Creek boys had showcased their sprint depth throughout the outdoor season heading into the NCHSAA 4A State Championships with an NC#1 ranking in the 4x100m and 4x200m, NC#3 ranking in the 4x400m and a NC#6 mark in the 4x800m.  

The Mavericks placed 4th at the NCHSAA 4A Indoor State Championships, but with adding the 4x100m outdoors as well as the 300mH they faired much better as a team for Outdoor track.  They also were the defending 4x100m and 4x200m State Champions and returned those entire teams.

However, to start the day last years anchor leg Christian Dixon and 10.41 100m runner did not start the 100m Dash Prelims and was out for the day due to injury.  They'd also be without Benjamin Black who was a 100m Dash Finalist a year ago and key leg on their relays who graduated in the winter to enroll early at Rutgers for football spring training.

They'd have to look to their depth to fill Dixon's points individually as well as his legs on the relays.

Tyson Williams and Nassor Ashenafi would get the job done early in the event for the 100m Dash Prelims with Williams posting a 10.50 to be the fastest qualifier and Ashenafi 10.76 to guarantee points in the finals as the 8th and final qualifier.

Between the prelims and finals their 4x800m relay of Tynarie McKinney, Kevin Noble Jr., Kenniel Hall and Kyllen Weathers would run a season best of 7:54 to place 7th in the event.

In the 100m Dash Finals they'd total 10 team points with Williams running a personal best of 10.46 to narrowly finish as runner up in a tight four man battle through the line with Ashenafi improving to finish 7th overall in 10.68.

They'd have a quick turnaround for the 4x200m relay where they'd be joined by Travis McFadden and Justin Watts with the whole field having a target on their backs.  McFadden to Watts second exchange provided some adversity with McFadden nearly falling as he passed the baton to Watts setting the back behind strong relays in Parkland, Cleveland, Cuthbertson and Reagan.  Watts would run a strong third leg, but as he handed off to Williams on the anchor they looked too far back to get the win.  But Williams was out hot and making up ground on the field.  He'd storm down the homestretch catching the field and winning the heat by half a second running 1:24.81 locking up 10 more team points!

The crowd went wild as the Mavericks moved from way back down the final 100 meters.

With all the momentum with them they'd have to come back and battle with in state rival Parkland who came in as NC#2 just .04 seconds off of Mallard Creek's season best of 41.03.  They'd run Curtis Clarke, Nassor Ashenafi, Mason Kelly and Tyson Williams on the 4x100m.

The race would be tight the whole way with Parkland having a slight lead going into anchor leg.  Williams looked to close for the win just as he did in the 4x200m, but the Parkland Mustangs would hold them off as both teams were under Mallard Creek's NCHSAA State Championship and Overall North Carolina State Record running 40.66 to Mallard Creek's 40.72.  That matchup certainly lived up to the hype building up throughout the last week.

The sophomore Mason Kelly would have a quick turnaround to the 400m Finals where he would run a big season best of 47.90 to take 4th overall scoring 5 points individually.  

Just after they'd have their 300m Hurdlers Nyan Brown and Travis McFadden score 7 points in the event with Brown running a season best for 3rd of 37.69 with McFadden scoring as well in 8th place running 38.43.

Williams would continue his fantastic day being the star the Mavericks needed running an NC#1 mark and new personal best in the 200m Dash winning in 20.92 to add another 10 points for the team!

Despite a near perfect day thus far as far as team points were going, they'd trail Weddington who had totaled 55 points, but did not qualify a 4x400m Relay.  The Warriors had individual wins from their 4x800m Relay who ran the second fastest time ever at the NCHSAA State Championships in 7:42.68, an upset win in a meet record throw from Christopher Stewart who threw 61-7.5 to win the Shot Put, and Eli Clark having a perfect day in the Pole Vault winning on missed at 15-0 in the Pole Vault.  Stewart would also place 3rd in the Discus, with Kolton Weaver placing 3rd in the Shot Put.  Taiwon Brown would add a point placing 8th in the Triple Jump and distance runners Hunter Bates and Ian Mas would place 3rd and 4th in the 800m.  

The Mavericks would need at least 3 points to tie, but anything 5th place or better in the 4x400m would net them a team title.

They'd have Mason Kelly, Nyan Brown, Travis McFadden and Justin Watts on the track for the 4x400m in what was expected to be a tight battle across many teams in the fast section.  They'd run well in solid position for a top 5 finish throughout the early legs, but anything can happen in the sprint relays and take you out of the race at any moment.  Mallard Creek and Willow Springs were neck and neck coming down the homestretch, but Tim Brown of Hough would fly past with an incredible anchor leg to win in 3:15.63 as Watts and Mallard Creek would hold off Willow Springs for 2nd and the team title in 3:16.56.  

This is Mallard Creek's second ever NCHSAA Outdoor Team title joining the 2015 squad as they'd score 60 points to beat Weddington by 5.  The Maverick's showcased their depth in the sprint events across the board making it a total team effort to bring home the title.  Tyson Williams was certainly one of the bigger stars of the day behind his 200m individual win and 4x200m comeback that certainly made the difference in first and second place overall.

Mallard Creek Boys Performances