POST FALLS - Mark Maret called what he came across on the second day of this school year "quite shocking."

The Post Falls High junior was cruising through the school's parking lot headed to school when he saw two males wearing bandanas and hoodies knock a fellow male student to the ground between two cars.

"The second I saw it, I stopped my car and took it upon myself to break up the fight," Maret said. "It's just something I had to do. I was the only one around."

Both the suspects fled and were later identified.

Maret was among the Post Falls youth honored on Thursday night during the annual Mayor's Youth Awards ceremony at Q'emiln Park. He was one of three boys presented with a Mayor's Medal from Mayor Clay Larkin.

Turns out the victim was an acquaintance of Maret's.

"Regardless of who it was, I wanted to help out," said Maret, who is pursuing being an Eagle Scout.

The victim was injured and missed about a week of school. Maret took the victim into the school and helped him seek medical attention. The victim and his family didn't want to be identified.

"In today's world, it is increasingly rare to see young people who demonstrate the qualities I see in (Maret)," the victim's mom said. "His selfless actions are an example of how we all should think and act."

Maret missed school multiple times to be interviewed as a witness at the trial, which led to a conviction.

"Mark withstood tough cross examination by the defense attorney," the mom said. "This would be very intimidating to most high school students."

Other boys who received Mayor's Medals were Ponderosa Elementary's Harrison Baker, a 10-year-old who has spent half of his life doing community service, including raising funds for nonprofits, and PFHS senior Brady Ulen, who assisted in the capture of a stolen vehicle suspect who rammed into a police car trying to escape.

Baker has also walked door to door inviting veterans to come to the school's Veterans Day ceremony and wrote a nonfiction book about not overlooking senior citizens based on his relationship with his 80-year-old mentor and guitar instructor.

In the stolen vehicle incident, Ulen, a soccer player, locked down his workplace (Pita Pit) to protect customers and co-workers, contacted police and captured the suspect on foot until police took over.

Individual winners at the awards ceremony included:

* Gabrielle Zichko, ages 5-7, for assisting at the Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County;

* Johnathan Borek, ages 8-11, for donating to a grandmother who had no kids' items when she was granted custody of eight grandchildren and for assembling military care packages;

* Nickolas Borek, ages 12-14, for working to stop bullying, assisting seniors, assembling military care packages and stuffing Easter eggs; and

* Robert Hoffman, ages 15-18, for working 262 hours on a community garden and delivering produce to those in need.

Group winners were:

* West Ridge Elementary Humane Society fundraiser, ages 8-11, for Alexis Bennett and Tesa Deshazer organizing the event;

* Boy Scout Troop 206, ages 12-14, for assisting with community events and flag retirements; and

* New Vision High's Family Career and Community Leaders of America, ages 15-18, for serving at community events and hosting a fun night for retirement home residents.