The University of Waterloo football program lies in ruins, and the names of the individuals alleged to be responsible for its destruction continue to surface.
Named Friday were two more of the nine who either failed doping control tests administered to 61 of the 62 athletes on the team or admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs. (One player refused to participate and was thereby handed an anti-doping rule violation.) The two identified Friday in a conference call with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport were third-year linebacker Matt Peto of Strathroy and first-year linebacker Eric Polini of Thunder Bay. Peto admitted to steroid use two days before testing and received a one-year sanction.
Polini admitted his use on March 31 when CCES conducted tests on the team. He received a two-year sanction. They joined Joe Surgenor and Jordan Meredith, who were identified previously and hit with two-year sanctions.
So far, three players and one former player are facing criminal charges in conjunction with what is being called the most significant steroids scandal in the history of Canadian university sport.
Receiver Nathan Zettler was arrested on charges of drug trafficking, which led to the entire Waterloo team being tested, Since then teammates Matthew Valeriote and Brandon Krukowski and former Warrior Eric Legare also have been charged.
The five oustanding positive tests have yet to sign their waiver and accept the anti-doping rule violation and the proposed sanctions, according to Paul Melia, president and CEO of CCES.
CCES has conducted more than 50 out-of-season, unannounced tests of players from university football programs across the country since the Waterloo scandal was unearthed.
The hope is to test at least one athlete from every football program in Canada by the time the 2010 season begins.
"(We want) to try to access how broad and how deep this use of prohibited substances in the CIS in the sport of football might be," Melia said. "Again trying to answer the question, 'Is it an isolated incident restricted to the Waterloo football program or is it more widespread?'"
In addition to the 61 urine tests carried out on March 31, CCES also conducted 20 blood tests, it was revealed Friday. Blood testing determines the presence of certain substances not detectable in urine like blood transfusions, synthetic EPO and human growth hormone.
One of those blood samples was a failed test or, as the scientists call it, an adverse analytical finding. The failed blood test was turned in by one of those players responsible for the nine positive urine tests so the cheat count remains at nine.
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