HIgh school runner carries injured opponent during championship race

GLYNDON, MN -- A young, competitive runner put winning aside to help a fellow runner during a championship cross country race in Minnesota.

Devils Lake Senior Melanie Bailey was approaching the finish line when she spotted a competitor groaning in pain on the ground. That competitor was Fargo South runner Danielle LeNoue who had injured her patella tendon. Most runners kept going, with the finish line in site, but Bailey stopped.

"All I could think about was she was in a lot of pain. And I wanted to help her," Bailey told ABC affiliate WDAY-TV.

Bailey asked if she could help LeNoue finish the race. The two then crossed the finish line together with Bailey carrying LeNoue on her back.

"Honestly, I loved the way I ended it," Bailey told WDAY. "It was a great way to end my cross-country season."

"So nice, she didn't have to do that. How many people ran past me? And she stopped," LeNoue said.

The two former competitors on the course have now become close friends. Bailey now has plans to study physical therapy when she heads to college.