TIFFIN, OH (WTOL) - Who says good sportsmanship is dead?
A photo of two runners from opposing teams helping a third runner from another team is making the rounds on Facebook on Sunday.
The picture was taken on Saturday at the Tiffin Cross Country Carnival at Hedges Boyer Park in Tiffin.
The runners are being identified on Facebook as Frankie Croskey from Anthony Wayne and Alex Murray from Perrysburg.
Murray is a sophomore at Perrysburg. He says he was about to beat his personal record and place high at the meet, but none of that mattered when he saw a runner in need.
"When the three of us crossed the line, it was a sense of accomplishment," Murray said. "And I stopped my watch and cleared it without even looking because I knew it wasn't nearly as important as what the three of us had just done. "
The Cross Country Carnival is the second largest cross country meet in the nation. It was just feet from the finish line when he saw his opponent go down.
"He was unable to get up off his knees and he couldn't crawl to the finish line," Murray remembered. "And I saw another runner form Anthony Wayne grab his left arm and I naturally grabbed his right arm I was like, 'Okay, we're going to get to the end all the way, all the way to the finish line. Let's get through this together. And the three of us crossed to the finish line together."
The three competitors, who never met before, became teammates when they finished the race together.
"I've been around high school athletics for 23 years, and I don't think I have ever seen anything as inspiring as that photo," said Perrysburg athletic director Chuck Jaco.
Murray hopes that moment will inspire more sportsmanship between competitors.
Murray and Croskey helped the injured runner to the medics and never had a chance to speak.
