Fast Break

Golf

Finchem says testing coming

The PGA Tour is getting closer to a rule on performance-enhancing drugs, and with testing likely to follow, commissioner Tim Finchem says golf organizations around the world should make sure they’re on the same page.

“It’s unfortunate that these realities are with us, but they are,” Finchem said Wednesday. “And we have to deal with them, and I think it’s important that golf deal with them collectively.”

Volleyball

18U team makes a Splash

The Spokane Splash 18U team won the AAU Club Division National Championship in Orlando, Fla., never losing a match during the four-day tournament.

They defeated a Puerto Rico team in the championship match 23-25, 25-21, 15-10.

Three of the players were awarded AAU All-American status, Chloe Rowand, (Lewis and Clark High), Meg Ryan (Mead HS), and Oceana Bush (LC), who was the MVP.

Other team members are Kristin Telin, Lauren Mellor, Hanna Jansen, Kelsey Allen, Carianna Rath, Tabitha Mabrey, Amanda Dahlstrom, Abby Bruya, Samantha Christensen and Carly Dorshorst.

Eastern Washington coach Wade Benson coaches the team with Chris Kosty assisting.

Hockey

WHL changes playoff format

A new Western Hockey League conference playoff format will be the same as the one used by the NHL. For the past six seasons, the WHL has used a divisional seeding format as opposed to a conference format in the first round.

The first-place teams in the two divisions in each conference will receive the top two playoff seeds based on regular-season points. The next six teams in each conference, based on regular-season points, will receive the remaining berths. Teams will be paired 1-8, 2 -7, 3-6, and 4-5 in a best-of-7 series.

The format for the remaining rounds will remain the same as previous seasons.