High school runner carries injured teammate to finish line

SALT LAKE CITY, - It's been noted that camaraderie and the spirit of support are some of the best gifts that come from being a part of a sports team.

That adage may prove no truer than in the case of two high school runners in Utah, during their state championship meet last Wednesday, when one of the runners got injured and could not finish the race.

That's when Riverton High School senior Sean Rausch decided to stop running himself and put his injured teammate, Blake Lewis, onto his back.

Chris Rodriguez, a parent of one of the other runners, captured video of the moment.

"Blake was in so much pain, he was just trying to get to the end, where the ambulance was waiting,"  Rodriguez told KTVU.

"Sean knew he had to help his teammate get to the finish," Rodriguez continued. "They have ran 1000's of miles as a TEAM and he wanted them all to finish."

The moving scene brought spectators in the stands to cheer loudly as Rausch trotted across the finish line carrying his teammate.

In the end, both boys got disqualified because of a rule that prohibits runners from touching each other during a meet.

"The DQ didn't matter to either of them," Rodriguez said. "As I watched it, I was proud of Sean. He is a great kid and really wouldn't expect much less," Rodriguez added.

Riverton High School officials told KTVU that during the race, a cyst in Lewis' tibia burst, breaking the bone.

The school placed third overall in Wednesday's state championship.  

While Lewis, who is a junior, will have to sit out the next meet because of his injury, Rausch will get another chance to race next month in the Nike cross regional in Arizona.

Rodriguez's son, Talon, is also on the team and best friends with Sean. 

"As a father you always want your kids to be around other great kids and Sean is that. I've seen him grow over the past few years and he is really an awesome young man," Rodriguez said.