High school sports: Steroid tests still net few positive results

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas' steroid-testing program for high schoolers — the nation's largest — has returned just eight positive results from the latest 16,000 tests.

The University Interscholastic League said the results announced Friday bring to 19 the total cases of steroids use confirmed by 45,000 tests conducted since February 2008.

Given so few positive results, state lawmakers agreed in May to slash spending on the much-touted program from $6 million to $2 million during the next two years.

The latest round of tests conducted from January through May also deemed 62 cases "protocol positives." That's when an athlete has an unexcused absence on the day they're selected for testing or refuses to provide a urine sample.