Fast Break

Golf

Ex-WSU golfer Big Break finalist

Former Washington State All-American Kim Welch has made it to the final round of The Golf Channel’s reality show “Big Break: Ka’anapali” at the Ka’anapali Resort in Hawaii, and will compete for an exemption into an LPGA Tour event on the show’s finale.

Welch will face off against Sophie Sandolo in 18 holes of match-play competition, Tuesday at 7 p.m. on The Golf Channel.

“It is going to be a great opportunity to get a chance to be crowned champion of Big Break and to play on the LPGA. The exemption is kind of what we’re all after,” Welch said. “We both realize how much is on the line here.”

Welch was one of 12 women competing on Big Break for a chance to compete on the LPGA Tour, as well as entry fees to all 2009 Duramed FUTURES Tour Events.

Welch, WSU’s only four-time All-Pacific-10 Conference honoree and an All-America selection in both 2003 and 2004, finished 21st on the FUTURES Tour money list this season and made it to the finals of the LPGA Tour Qualifying tournament.

Arena football

Shock return to No. 1 spot

The Spokane Shock have moved back into the No. 1 spot in the arenafootball2 coaches’ poll and not far behind is a team with a familiar coach.

The Shock used a last-second field goal by Brian Jackson to beat Central Valley 56-54 last Saturday and improved to a league-best 12-1 record. The Shock have a bye this week and play at Stockton on July 12.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (11-2) moved into the second spot, followed by previous No. 1 Tulsa (11-2) and South Georgia (9-4), which is the only team to beat Spokane this season.

A new entry into the top five this week is Arkansas, coached by former Spokane Shock head coach Chris Siegfried. The Twisters (9-4) jumped up three places from No. 8 to No. 5 on the strength of a 55-46 non-conference victory against the Iowa Barnstormers.

Junior hockey

Chiefs trade Armstrong to PG

The Spokane Chiefs have traded goaltender Kevin Armstrong to the Prince George Cougars in exchange for a fourth-round draft selection in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.

“Kevin is a good goaltender who deserves an opportunity to play his 20-year-old season in the WHL,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. “With the success that Dustin Tokarski has had, it is clear he will be our starting goaltender next year, and with the experience James Reid acquired last year he is ready to be our second netminder.”

In 21/2 seasons in Spokane, Armstrong won 51 games, including a 20-5-1-3 record last year. In 33 games, the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native set a career-low goals-against average of 2.17 and a career-high .915 save percentage, both second best in franchise history.