New Haven (Connecticut) Achievement First Amistad High School junior Kayla Samuel didn’t win the 2013 Connecticut State Cross Country Championship. Instead, she reminded student-athletes and spectators that acts of sportsmanship still exist by helping Maryn Vaillancourt, a junior at Sacred Heart High School, cross the finish line after an injury.

“I’ve been involved in athletics for 17 years and this is by far the kindest act I’ve heard of in competition,” said Jonathan Carroll, Sacred Heart director of athletics. He said that Samuel’s actions, based on the reports he heard and read, were a true reflection of her character and her person.

The two girls were in the final turn of the course at East Hartford’s Wickham Park when Vaillancourt stepped awkwardly on a tree root, rolling her ankle. Samuel wasn’t that far behind and saw her struggling. When Samuel caught up she linked arms with her competitor and helped her finish the race.

“Kayla had also done this earlier in the year,” said Jay Fellows, Amistad athletic director.

As they approached the finish line, Vaillancourt told Samuel to go ahead, but Samuel insisted on helping. For the record, Vaillancourt finished 133rd out of 150 runners with a time of 28:19 and Samuel finished 134th and one second behind.

“The fact that Kayla made Maryn finish in front of her, in my opinion, was a spectacular example of selflessness and sincerity,” Carroll said. “Her family, school and community should be proud of the young woman they have helped shape.”

“I was impressed, but not surprised because of who she is,” Fellows said.

The Sacred Heart athletic handbook acknowledges that interscholastic sports are competitive. According to Carroll, they try to help the athletes, parents and coaches understand that, as an educational tool, sports should focus on team building, improvement of self and enjoyment.

The students at Amistad are receiving similar lessons. Fellows said the students are generally respectful and the student-athletes are taught to value sportsmanship.

“Our school community is thankful to Kayla because it really has highlighted what true sportsmanship is,” Carroll said.

“It’s great for Kayla; it’s great for our school,” Fellows said. “It’s great for interscholastic athletes. It’s a reminder that sportsmanship still exists.”

Carroll said they keep a picture of the two girls running arm-in-arm at the race as a reminder to the coaches and athletes about the values of sportsmanship and of character.

[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE FEBRUARY 2014 EDITION OF “HIGH SCHOOL TODAY”]