Cross-country race winner disqualified after helping rival

An act of sportsmanship was punished at a cross-country race in Iowa on Oct. 22 after the first-place finisher helped a rival across the finish line.

Zachary Hougland, a 17-year-old student from Davis County High School, won the race but helped competitor Garret Hinson across the line. Hinson, a student from Mediapolis High School, collapsed 15 metres short of the finish.

“I thought about what it’d feel like if no one helped me,” Hougland told ABC News. “Even though he wasn’t on my team, I thought I’d show some good sportsmanship. I wasn’t thinking about how he was on another team or what officials would say about it.”

The National Federation of State High School Association’s rules state that a competitor will be disqualified for giving or receiving assistance during a race.

The governing association has not reversed its decision despite pressure from the community and on social media.