On April 21 the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) released the following announcement:
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) became one of three state high school associations in the country to test for performance-enhancing drugs with the implementation of the IHSA Performance-Enhancing Drug Testing Program earlier this school year.
IHSA Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson, who oversees the program, presented the IHSA Board of Directors with an update on the results of the winter sports testing at the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
Gibson reported that 178 athletes were tested in five sports (bowling, basketball, wrestling, swimming, competitive cheer) during the winter, representing 26 percent of the total number of tests that will be conducted during the school year. All 178 students were tested for stimulants, while 88 of those students were also tested for anabolic steroids. 177 of the 178 students came back with negative results, while the one student who tested positive was granted a medical exemption.
Overall, 442 students have been tested this school year, representing 66 percent of all testing that will be conducted. 334 students have been tested for stimulants, while 196 students were tested for anabolic steroids. The seven students who tested positive in the fall and winter were granted medical exceptions for this year. For reporting purposes, these results are considered positive, even though no penalty was assessed to any individual or school.
“Our membership has done a tremendous job in implementing our drug testing program this year,” said Gibson. “Their support for and cooperation with this initiative has enabled this first year to run smoothly. Based on the positive feedback from our schools and testing results, we believe that our testing program is successfully serving as a deterrent for student-athletes in Illinois.”
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