Wilmot’s Quade comes to the aid of Tremper student in distress
By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer
For Wilmot Union High School sophomore Nathan Quade, it was either help a competitor in distress, or forge ahead for the Panthers cross-country team last Saturday at Kenosha’s Lincoln Park.
Quade chose to help the fallen runner, Kenosha Tremper’s Jackson Davis, who suffered an asthma attack and fell multiple times during the Dog Days Meet.
The Wilmot student’s actions did not go unnoticed, however, with Davis’ mother sending an email to school Athletic Director Herm Christiansen Sunday, commending the sophomore’s decision.
“While some runners stepped around him and continued on, Nathan Quade stopped to help Jackson,” said Jackson’s mother, Jennifer Froh, in an email addressed to Christiansen.
“Nathan not only helped my son back to his feet, he made sure that he was okay and continued the remainder of the race running alongside him.”
The good deed took Panthers’ cross country coach William Dinegan by surprise, stating Quade never told him, nor anyone on the team.
Dinegan, along with school administrators, learned of it on Monday.
“I didn’t hear about any of this until I checked my email this morning, and I was just like ‘Wow,” Dinegan said.
Quade’s humble actions, however, shows how he carries himself on the field and in the classroom.
“He is kind of quiet anyways, it does not surprise me that he didn’t say anything,” Dinegan said. “He is not one to brag about the things he has done.”
The quiet Quade spoke about the situation Monday, when he explained the turn of events leading up to the moment he saw Davis lying on the ground, stating he made sure the Tremper student stayed safe.
“When I first saw him, running up towards him, I could see he was on the ground,” Quade said. “So, I asked to see if he was okay and he got up.”
According to Froh, Quade’s decision on the humid Saturday morning was crucial, reporting Davis suffered an asthma attack.
Davis’ asthma attack left him in distress, his mother added.
“As an asthmatic, Jackson struggled during most of the race and collapsed roughly halfway through,” Froh said.
Meanwhile, Quade interacted with Davis, and assured the Tremper student he would be following closely.
“He was having trouble breathing and I told him ‘We are very close to the finish line’ and he was still pretty winded,” Quade said. “The humidity was killing him, and I was like ‘Yep, it’s killing me, too.”
As Quade ran with Davis, Quade reported the Tremper runner had fallen two more times, and continued to help him.
“I continued to follow him all the way to the finish line, and after the finish line, he fell again,” Quade said. “Then I saw him being carried away by the paramedics.”
While undergoing treatment inside the ambulance, Froh said, Quade stayed nearby until the Tremper athlete received medical clearance.
In the field of competition, Quade acknowledged he had two choices, but the lessons he learned in life outweighed the will to win.
“I have always been told to help people wherever possible and I knew if I had skipped around him, I definitely would have done a lot better,” Quade said. “To me, helping him, and seeing if he was okay was a bit more important than finishing faster.”
Froh said Quade’s actions are indicative of his character and sheds a positive light on teenagers today.
“I think it’s so much more important, though, to identify the positives and shine a light on them,” Froh stated in the email. “Nathan sacrificed all the work and training he put into his own race, as well as his own success, in order to help my son. It’s truly an act of goodwill and sportsmanship.”
Two days after the incident, Froh stated in a phone interview that her son has returned to practice for Trojans.
“He is much, much better today, he is back on the field,” Froh said.