WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – Shawano High School junior Teagan Monfils was recently disqualified from the Wisconsin cross country sectionals, but most who watched the 5K race agree she deserves a medal.

Monfils and a senior runner from DC Everest High School were both disqualified after the latter collapsed near the end of the race and Monfils helped to carry her across the finish line, ABC reports.

“My goal was to try to run a PR (personal record) for the day, but it’s a hard course, it’s a really hilly course, and anything can happen,” Monfils told the news site.

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“I saw the girl ahead of me and she was getting really wobbly on her feet. She was 10 feet ahead of me and she just fell,” she said. “The first thing that came to my mind was to make sure she was alright, I was like, ‘hey, are you ok?”

The exhausted competitor, identified only as Jordan, was unable to walk on her own, so Monfils hoisted her off the ground, and helped her to the finish line. Many spectators were stunned by Monfils’ unselfish act, which was caught on video and posted to YouTube, according to media reports.

Aiding or assisting another runner results in disqualification under the National Federation of State High School Associations rules, so neither runner received a finishing time. In the video, several other runners coast past the duo as they limped across the finish line.

“I know the rules,” Monfils told the news site. “I know you’re not supposed to touch another runner. At that point, before I even thought about I’m going to get disqualified if I touch her, the first thing was I need to help her, because she needs to finish.”

Monfils said she was simply doing what she believes other runners would do for her if she was ever in the same situation.

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“If you stop before the finish line, I feel like you can never get there because in the next meet, you’re like, I can’t get there, I can’t do it, I didn’t make it last time, I can’t make it this time. You just have to finish so you can do it again,” she told ABC.

“I know that if I would have fallen, that somebody would have been there to tell me to finish it, so I could finish it.”

Monfils’ coach, Steve Stomberg, said the unexpected act of sportsmanship is something he’s never seen before.

“It’s a proud moment,” he said. “You want your kids, always, to do the right thing, and you don’t always expect them to do the right thing in a competitive nature like that.”

“You see sportsmanship things that take place and people encouraging each other but to actually see someone stop and pick someone up and help them across the finish line, I’ve never seen anything like that,” Stomberg told ABC.

Everyone who commented on the story online applauded Monfils’ good deed.

“I’m not even her mother and I’m so proud it brought me to tears,” Shari Timm Beranak posted to Facebook, garnering 86 likes.

“We can all learn from this young gal. Her parents should be so proud,” Lou Ann Zeamer wrote. “I don’t know her and can say she will go a long way in life with such a giving heart! Good job.”

“I am absolutely bawling right now!!” Tammy Sprinborn-Curtin posted. “What an amazing person to help one in need even if it meant to be disqualified. Maybe the high school federation should take note.”

Jen Anderson wrote that she attended the race and it was awesome.

“I was there and it was the most moving moment ever,” she posted. “Jordyn is doing fine, thanks to this courageous young lady… It’s nice to see there is still good in the world.”

Thirty people also liked Caralee Carpenter’s post.

“Sometimes winning happens before you get to the finish line!” Carpenter wrote. “Now that is class!”