Ka’Lia Johnson didn’t make the USA Women’s U16 national basketball team, but she recently returned from three days of trials determined to get a future invitation. “Hopefully, the next time I go back, I’ll be wearing the USA jersey,“ Johnson said. The rising junior at Thomas Dale High was one of 34 players invited to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., to compete for 12 spots. The team will play against seven national teams from North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean in the first FIBA Americas U16 championship Aug. 10-14 in Mexico. The top three teams qualify for the 2010 FIBA U17 world championship next summer in France.

Soon after seeing the rainy weather forecast for this week, Hanover High baseball coach Charlie Dragum formulated a different pitching strategy for the state Group AAA tournament. Ace right-hander Jake Mayers threw a four-hitter in a 4-0 quarterfinal victory over Lake Braddock on Tuesday. Had his team played its semifinal game against Frank Cox yesterday as scheduled, Dragum would have used his No.2 starter, left-hander Tyler Kane (3-0).