Local high school awarded prestigious honor

MARQUETTE — A local high school recently received a prestigious award for its Sports Rehab and Athletic Training Program.

Marquette Senior High School received the National Athletic Trainers Association Safe Sports School award in recognition for providing safe environments for student athletes.

The school was chosen after Mark Stonerock, a certified athletic trainer at U.P. Health System Rehab Services, submitted a 65 page application. The report delved into specific detail regarding a variety of award requirements including injury protocol and safe practice facilities.

“I think it’s a great asset for us to be able to hang that flag in our gym and show everybody we care about student safety and that we’re doing everything possible,” said MAPS Athletic Director Blaise Zimmer. “When you look at the prestige of this award and how few schools actually have been names first team, I think it says a lot about how hard we have worked to create that environment here for our student athletes.”

For over 25 years, the school has worked with U.P. Rehab Services to provide athletic trainers on game days. That collaborative effort has now grown to see trainers at the high school everyday school is in session for practices and tournaments.

“We’ve had a great relationship with Marquette Area Public Schools and I think it’s very reciprocal,” said Stonerock. “Now we have even more coverage because we have this great, cooperative effort with the hospital and UP Rehab Services. So it’s a great team effort to make this all happen.”

Zimmer added that the award is just extra motivation to keep propelling the school forward as it works to provide even safer conditions for students.