Sometimes It's About More Than the Score

Have you ever read or watched a story that made you wonder, “What would I do if I were ever in that position”? Maybe that moment came in the recent Summer Olympics when New Zealand runner Nikki Hamblin and American runner Abbey D'Agostino willed each other to the finish line in the 5,000-meter race after they had both been knocked down following a collision. Or maybe it was when two Central Washington University softball players, Mallory Holtman and Liz Wallace, carried Sara Tucholsky from Western Oregon around the bases after she injured her knee seconds following her first-ever career home run. Moments like these are actions that transcend sports and speak to values such as compassion and selflessness. For Sanger, Texas, senior Bryce Perry, that moment came Saturday morning during the Big 12 Cross Country Championship, and her actions can be something that all Sooner fans can be truly proud of. Perry took some time to share what happened Saturday on the women's 6,000-meter course between TCU's Emily Suarez and her.

Q: Going into the race, how were you feeling about running in the Big 12 Championship?

A: "After a year and a half of battling with injuries and sickness, I finally was able to start running with the team two weeks before Big 12s. I was humbled, honored and nervous when Coach (Kevin) Ondrasek asked me to run my fourth and final Big 12 meet with only two weeks of real training. Going into the race I didn't know what to expect, but I went in eager and ready to run hard. Once the race started, I was quickly reminded of my lack of fitness, but I kept pushing through anyway."

Q: At what point of the race did this occur?

A: "Coming up on 4,000 meters, I was next to a runner from TCU. We had about one mile to go when she collapsed to the ground and lay there, clearly exhausted. [Then it happened again when] we were approaching the last bridge which meant we were about 600 meters from the finish line. She reached back for the ground and fell one more time. This time, someone I thought was her father was standing near us. He started to cheer for her and encourage her. He knew, though, that he couldn't touch her or she would have been disqualified. I knew that I was going to be the only person that could get her to the finish line."

Q: Did you have any thoughts about whether you should stop or not?

A: "I remember not even hesitating when I stopped and reached down for her. The question in my mind wasn't if I should stop to help, but why I wouldn't stop to help. At no point did I think to leave her or give up. I never even considered that this was how I was going to spend my final collegiate cross country meet. I was inspired by her determination to keep fighting even when every ounce of her body wanted to stop. I just wanted to do for her what I could only hope would be done for me."

Q: Had you exchanged words earlier in the race?

A: “The first time she fell, I told her 'Come on! You can do this. I need you to finish this race. We're going to finish this'. She reached up just as I began to pull her up and let her lean her weight on me. I held her by the arm as we began to run again. After about 400 meters, I let go of her arm and started to talk to her some more. She didn't say anything, but she didn't have to. The second time it happened I reached down again and pulled her up, letting her once again put her weight on me. I told her 'I'm not leaving you. I'll carry you if I have to, we're finishing this.'"

Q: What was it like running with her side by side?

A: "As we set off toward the finish line together, [we were] coming closer to fans who began to encourage us. Once we were coming over the last hill, I knew we had only 200 meters left. We were running side by side and had a mutual understanding that this was no longer a competition between two schools, but about two runners finishing what they started. I knew we were going to finish this together."

Q: How about as you were crossing the finish line, what was that moment and what followed like for you?

A: "We crossed together as medical staff caught her final fall. I walked off the course, not caring that my time had been drastically impacted (Perry lost more than a minute). I was happy that I could call this my final cross country race. A couple hours after the race, Emily approached me and thanked me. We hugged and exchanged smiles."