Liverpool runner lifts up Baldwinsville runner after race

Liverpool, NY — It's not every day that you see a random act of kindness on the field, court or the track.

Earlier this week after a modified boys cross country meet, a Baldwinsville runner was down at the finish line. While he was down, a runner from the Liverpool team came over to check on him.

"When I turned around, I heard a kid sobbing, which is common because it really does hurt so I wanted to make sure he was okay," said Cooper Kohanski.

Cooper couldn't leave the finish line without checking on one his opponents who was kneeling at the finish line.

"He said a lot of encouraging stuff," said Andrew Hawkinson. "He said I did a good job [and] I would be okay because I was out of breath. I couldn't really walk, I just needed to settle down. Once we got up we had a fist bump which I thought was pretty cool."

After Andrew ran his first ever cross-country race, his mom went to look over to see how he felt and was surprised to see her son being comforted by a runner from another team.

"It just really fed my soul and I was just really impressed," said Wendy Hawkinson. "I wouldn't have expected somebody from the other team to check on him."

Cooper's coach, Greg Hamilton, wasn't surprised by the random act of kindness and says he's just one of those guys.

"[When] he sees someone struggling or something like that, he's there. he's always the pick me up, he's always the reach out, the motivational guy," said Greg Hamilton.

Hamilton also enforced that they talk a lot about sportsmanship and character and that is more important than winning the race.

It's always been the figure," said Cooper. "It's not always win this win that. It's don't be mean, don't be rude."

Cooper and Andrew will cross paths again later this season, and now they have a friendly race to cheer for on the course.