Riverhead runner, Shania Daniel, keeps up legacy of good samaritans

This was RHS junior Shania Daniel’s first year on the Girls Cross Country Team. She and her teammate, Annie Harris, were running side-by-side in the final race of the 40th event of the day in the 2.5 mile Varsity “F” race in the Manhattan Invitational held at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. It was pouring down rain. Approximately 1 mile into the race, Shania and Annie came across a runner who was down on the ground and clearly in distress.

“When Annie and I saw her with a couple of other girls around her,” explained Shania, “we started asking each other, ‘What should we do? What should do?’ We decided we needed to stop. The other girls left and we stayed. I was scared. I didn’t want to touch anything because I didn’t want to make it worse. My first thought was to get help. I decided that the best thing to do was to run back to the starting line because it would be the fastest way to get help. Annie and then a couple of other girls stayed with her. Then, Annie ran on and said later another girl had run toward the finish line to get help. When I got back, I stayed with the girl until someone came with a cart.”

Recently, Bill Groth, Riverhead District’s Athletic Director, received a letter from Greg Kaszubski, the Athletic Director in the Clarence Central School District upstate New York. Mr. Kaszubski wrote, “Thankfully, five runners who were also competing that day came across the Clarence runner who was down on the ground and clearly in distress. One of the five runners was Shania Daniel from Riverhead Central School District. Shania, along with four others, provided needed aid and comfort to the Clarence runner, along with seeking help from two EMTs. Thanks to their quick action and empathy,” he concluded, “the Clarence runner received much needed, quality care. Though she is not able to run yet, she is on the road to recovery due in great part to the quick work of the five runners.” The Clarence runner spent four days in the hospital.

“As Mr. Kaszubski noted in his letter, it was the final race of the day,” shared RHS Girls’ Cross Country Coach Justin Cobis. “It was pouring down rain. There were several hundred teams and several thousand runners that day. Many just ran past this girl. We were at the finish line waiting for Annie and Shania thinking that they should already have finished the race. Finally, Annie came in and she told us what Shania had done.”

Kaszubski concluded his letter with this thought, “Rest assured, Shania is someone you can all be very proud to have represent your school district, athletic program and community.”

Cobis would concur, “Riverhead runners have a history of being good Samaritans. When they see someone in distress, they stop. I’m so very proud of both Shania and Annie.”

“It was just the right thing to do,” concluded Shania shyly.

Photo Caption: Shania Daniel (center-seated) with Girls’ Cross Country Coach Justin Cobis (left) and Athletic Director Bill Groth; Back L-R: RHS Principal Charles Regan and Assistant Principal Sean O’Hara.

Source: Press release issued by the Riverhead Central School District, November 17.