Fast Break

NFL

Seahawks still not likely to be back in Cheney

The NFL’s decision to postpone the Seattle Seahawks’ exhibition game in China probably won’t impact the team’s training camp plans this summer.

The Seahawks announced in January they would train this summer in Kirkland instead of Cheney due to logistical concerns involving the trip to Beijing where they were to face New England on Aug. 9. The NFL on Monday officially postponed the contest in China until 2009, citing a need to focus its energies on an Oct. 28 regular-season game between Miami and the New York Giants in London.

In the last two-plus months, Seattle has moved forward with plans to train at team headquarters in Kirkland.

“There is no change anticipated right now,” Seahawks spokesman Dave Pearson said.

EWU officials are hearing the same thing.

“The word here is that it’s unlikely,” EWU spokesman Dave Sonntag said. “It sounds like the Seahawks are too far down the road in terms of contractual agreements to make any sort of change.”

Seattle apparently has an agreement with Northwest University, team sources said. The Seahawks lease the practice fields and property for their headquarters from the Kirkland school. When Seattle trained in Kirkland from 1986-96, it used the school’s dorm rooms and a dining hall. It wasn’t known if they will do the same this summer.

The Seahawks trained at Eastern Washington University from 1976-1985 and again from 1997-2006. The team previously announced plans to move into a new state-of-the-art facility in Renton in 2008.

The schedule change probably will prompt the Seahawks to move the opening date of training camp from roughly mid-July to near the end of the month.

Prep basketball

Bjorklund makes Parade first team

University senior Angie Bjorklund is a regular on the Parade All-America high school girls basketball team, but this year she’s a first-team selection.

The Tennessee-bound Bjorklund, a 6-foot-1 forward and four-year starter for the Titans, is a three-time All-American and joined nine others on the first team announced Monday. She led U-Hi to the 4A state title game this season, averaging 24.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

The entire team will be listed in Sunday’s Parade magazine, which is inserted into The Spokesman-Review.