Stonington - The mail came to Heather Buck's house last week and her dad, David, decided to have a little bit of fun with her.

”I was trying to grab it off him; I like to look through it anyway,” Buck said with a laugh, telling the story on Friday.“He wouldn't give it to me. Then he said, 'This is yours, this big thing.'”

It was a packet from USA Basketball, extending an invitation to Buck, Stonington High School's senior girls' basketball All-American, to the USA U18 National Team Trials in Colorado Springs next month.

Buck, who will play for UConn next season, leaves for the trials on June 9.

She will compete with more than 30 of the nation's best athletes in her age group for a spot on the 12-person team that will compete in the FIBA Americas U18 Women's World Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in July.

Buck, The Day's three-time Girls' Basketball Player Player of the Year and the two-time Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year, averaged 26.4 points and 16.3 rebounds per game this season for the Bears.

She was one of 20 players chosen to the 2008 EA Sports All-America first team.

”To be recognized in this way by them is special,” Buck said of her continued affiliation with USA Basketball, for which she attended a Youth Development Festival last summer in Colorado Springs.“They really do support their athletes.”

- Vickie Fulkerson

College softball

¦ Second-seeded DePaul overcame an early 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 3 UConn, 4-3, in the semifinals of the Big East Conference Tournament in Louisville. Salem's Meghan Tierney had a base hit for the Huskies, who finish 28-22. DePaul is 47-16.

¦ Coast Guard Academy sophomore outfielder Carin Sweeney has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Softball Academic All-District I second team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Sweeney hit .275 and drove in 14 runs. She has a 3.43 GPA as a Civil Engineering major. She led the team with a .980 fielding percentage, making just one error in 51 chances.

A three-sport athlete, Sweeney is also a member of both the volleyball and basketball teams. A member of the Dean's List, she also tutors and counsels cadets that are struggling academically and will serve as a cadre and train the incoming freshman this summer.

Defenders rained out

¦ Friday night's Connecticut Defenders-Binghamtom Mets game was postponed because of rain and will be rescheduled at a later date. The two teams will play tonight at 6:35 p.m. and the Friday night fireworks show will be held after the game.

Auto racing

¦ Heavy rain forced Stafford Motor Speedway to postpone its Friday night program, highlighted by the New England Dodge Dealers Late Model 100 prgram, until Friday, June 27. Stafford returns to racing May 16 with a Whelen All-American Series racing program. For more information, contact at (860) 684-2783 or visit www.staffordspeedway.com.

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