Sports briefs 4/8
Men’s golf
The Washington & Jefferson men’s golf team won its second tournament of the season on Monday at the Thiel Spring Invitational that was held at the Avalon Country Club at Buhl Park.
The Presidents posted a 292 score through 18 holes. The W&J B team finished in third place with a 301 score. Waynesburg finished with a 313 total.
Matthew Morelli continued his strong play this spring, finishing as the medalist. Morelli shot 1-under par 69. Morelli bested a trio of golfers from Grove City, Bethany and Pitt-Bradford by two shots.
Girls lacrosse
Senior Dana Anderson and junior Sia Spanos each scored three goals, powering Peters Township to a 12-8 victory over Hampton on Monday night.
McMichael had CTE
Hall of Famer Steve McMichael, a key member of the dominating defense that helped the 1985 Chicago Bears win the Super Bowl, has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the Concussion & CTE Foundation said.
McMichael died last year at 67 after a five-year fight with ALS.
“Too many NFL players are developing ALS during life and diagnosed with CTE after death,” his wife, Misty McMichael, said in a statement released by the foundation. “I donated Steve’s brain to inspire new research into the link between them.”
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in athletes in contact sports, combat veterans and others exposed to repetitive head trauma. It has been known to cause violent mood swings, impulsive behavior and depression.
It can only be diagnosed after death.
A two-time All-Pro and 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, McMichael was known as “Mongo” and “Ming The Merciless” while playing in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981-93. He ranks second to Richard Dent on the Bears’ career sacks list with 92 1/2.
McMichael played his final NFL season with Green Bay in 1994, and then went on to a career in pro wrestling.
No Mendoza at draft
Fernando Mendoza, expected to go first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, will watch the NFL draft later this month with family and friends in Miami, someone with knowledge of the quarterback’s plans said Tuesday.
That person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Mendoza hasn’t made his plans public.
The draft will take place in Pittsburgh starting April 23, and many top players will be there to receive congratulations and a hug from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. But players, even those who are drafted first, sometimes prefer to watch from a different location.
Defensive end Travon Walker in 2022 and quarterback Trevor Lawrence in 2021 were the two most recent top picks to watch from afar.
Baseball
Gabriel Arias was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday because of a strained left hamstring.
Juan Brito was called up from Triple-A Columbus and will make his big league debut during Tuesday afternoon’s game against Kansas City. Brito is batting sixth and playing second base.
“We’ve been excited about Juan for a really long time. And I feel like last year with his injuries, we would have seen him last year at some point, but we just couldn’t be more excited,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “Juan has historically been a good decision maker at the plate. He’s got the ability to make contact and he’s got the power to drive the ball out of the yard. So he’s a complete hitter from both sides.”