Cheyney Athletics tests athlete's
hearts
August 14, 2006
The Cheyney University Athletics Department has joined with
the Daniel E. Rumph II Foundation and Ultrasound Services Inc.
to perform echocardiogram testing on every Cheyney student-athlete
as part of our yearly pre-participation sports medical screenings.
Cheyney is believed to be the first university in the country
to have this testing done on all of its athletes.
 The echocardiogram test will determine whether the student-athlete
has Cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart). Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy,
the number one cause of sudden death, can lead to obstruction
of blood flow and an erratic heart beat. Undetected it can
be fatal. Ultrasound Services Inc. has been contracted to
perform these tests.
"Cheyney University’s screening program with
Play Safe is making history," said Greg Mackrides, Director
of Business and Research for the Play Safe Division of Ultrasound
Services, Inc. "They are believed to be the first university
in the United States to test all of their athletes. This
is by far more rewarding than our work with the NFL. We have
the ability to possibly save a young life.”
Cheyney tested their football players on Friday (August
11) and will test the rest of the student-athletes on August
22 during the athletic department’s orientation.
“This is something we have been working on for the
past five months,” commented Scott Uderman, Cheyney’s
Athletic Trainer. “A good part of my job is the care
and prevention of athletic related injuries. I can’t
think of a better way of doing my job then getting an echocardiogram
for all of our athletes.”
"Every year you here about athletes, who are supposed
to be in shape and have a potential fatal heart incident
during training. We chose to use our limited resources to
test our student-athletes,” commented Director of Athletics,
Patric Simon. “Our coaches and student athletes will
forgo the extra pair of sneakers. This is too important.
The health and well being of student-athletes has to take
precedent. I hope that every school in the country follows
Cheyney’s lead and tests all of their student-athletes.
You can not put a price tag on a young person’s life.”
The Daniel E. Rumph II Foundation is named after a student-athlete
who at the age of 21 died suddenly from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
on May 8, 2005. He was a starting point at Western Kentucky
University. The Foundation’s mission is to promote
education, screening, and awareness of this condition. They
also seek to provide defibrillators for all Philadelphia
recreation centers.
“This is an historical event, stated Marcus Owen of
the Foundation. "Never has an entire athletic department
been tested. Cheyney, the oldest historical black college
in the country, should feel a great deal of pride, as do
I, that we were able to test all of these athletes. We are
making history.”
For more information about the Foundation visit their web
site at www.derii.org.
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