105 Schools Recognized As HEARTSafe
October 19, 2016
The Michigan Departments of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and Education (MDE); American Heart Association (AHA); Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA); and Michigan Alliance for Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the Young (MAP-SCDY) have awarded 105 schools in Michigan with the MI HEARTSafe School designation which recognizes schools that are prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies.
“Many sudden cardiac deaths that claim the lives of children and young adults could be prevented through screening, detection, and treatment,” said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of MDHHS. “Appropriate medical response within three to five minutes is crucial for increasing the chance of survival, which is why I’m pleased to see so many of our schools taking vital measures to prepare and address this health issue.”
In order for a school to receive a MI HEARTSafe School designation, it must perform at least one cardiac emergency response drill per year, have a written medical emergency response plan and team, have current CPR/AED certification of at least 10 percent of staff, 100 percent of head varsity coaches, and 50 percent of P.E. staff; have accessible, properly maintained and inspected AEDs with signs identifying their location; and ensure pre-participation sports screening of all student athletes using the current physical and history form endorsed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
“We are so proud to support Michigan’s HEARTSafe schools,” said State Superintendent Brian Whiston. “Ensuring schools are prepared for sudden cardiac emergencies through planning, training, and life-saving AEDs is an important part of having safer learning environments for students, staff, and the community.”
Between 2003 and 2012 in Michigan, there were 2,590 young individuals between 1 and 39 years of age who died of sudden cardiac death. Of those, 214 were between 5 and 19 years of age. This is the third year of the MI HEARTSafe Schools program in Michigan. In the first two years of the initiative, 162 schools were previously designated as MI HEARTSafe Schools and prepared to help reduce the number of sudden cardiac deaths in our youth.
Public Act 12 of 2014 requires all schools (grades kindergarten to 12) to have a cardiac emergency response plan in place. This MI HEARTSafe School designation recognizes the 267 school buildings that have taken steps above and beyond to prepare to respond in the event of a cardiac emergency, and is awarded for a period of three years. Click for the list of designated schools.
Schools that meet all of the requirements will be able to apply for the MI HEARTSafe School designation each year. Click for information about the MI HEARTSafe Schools program.
31 First-Time Finals Winners Highlight MHSAA's 2024-25 Parade of Champions
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 26, 2025
A total of 93 schools won one or more of the 130 Michigan High School Athletic Association team championships awarded during the 2024-25 school sports year, with 31 teams winning the first MHSAA titles in their respective sports.
A total of 23 schools won two or more championships this school year, paced by Marquette’s eight earned in girls and boys cross country, boys golf, boys skiing, girls and boys swimming & diving, boys tennis and boys track & field. Detroit Country Day and Northville were next with four Finals championships apiece, and Detroit Catholic Central, East Grand Rapids, Newberry and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep all won three titles.
Winning two titles in 2024-25 were Ann Arbor Greenhills, Belleville, Clarkston Everest Collegiate, Farmington Hills Mercy, Fowler, Goodrich, Grand Rapids Catholic Central, Hancock, Hartland, Jackson Lumen Christi, Kalamazoo Christian, Negaunee, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Pickford, Saline and Traverse City St. Francis.
A total of 51 champions were repeat winners from 2023-24. A total of 28 teams won championships for at least the third-straight season, while 14 teams extended title streaks to at least four consecutive seasons. The Lowell wrestling program owns the longest title streak at 11 seasons, followed by Dundee wrestling’s eight consecutive titles and runs of six straight Finals victories by the Detroit Catholic Central ice hockey team and Marquette’s boys cross country and boys swimming & diving programs.
Sixteen of the MHSAA's 28 team championship tournaments are unified, involving teams from the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, while separate competition to determine title winners in both Peninsulas is conducted in remaining sports.
For a sport-by-sport listing of MHSAA champions for 2024-25, click here (PDF).
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.