Atlanta Thrashers players Blake Wheeler and Mark Stuart were among 16 hockey players selected for the United States team that will play in the World Championships later this month.

The tournament runs April 29 through May 15 in Slovakia.

In addition to Wheeler, a former Gopher, and Stuart, a Rochester, Minn., native, the 16-man roster also includes former Minnesota Duluth forwards Nick Palmieri (New Jersey Devils) and Tim Stapleton (Atlanta Thrashers). Hobey Baker Award winner Andy Miele of Miami (Ohio) also was chosen, as was St. Louis Blues center Chris Porter, formerly of Shattuck-St. Mary's and the University of North Dakota. See the complete roster in Scoreboard on C7.

Romanian guard chooses to play at Minnesota Alexandra Ionescu, a 5-9 combo guard from Bucharest, Romania, has signed a national letter with the Gophers women's basketball team, coach Pam Borton said Wednesday.

Ionescu has participated at five FIBA Youth European Championships since 2007, and started for Romania's Division B gold medal team at the 2010 U18 European Championships in Romania.

Ionescu is the third member of Minnesota's 2011 recruiting class, joining Rachel Banham (Lakeville North) and Kayla Hirt (Bemidji).

Etc. • The 2011 world senior curling championships and world mixed doubles championships will be held from Saturday through April 23 at the St. Paul Curling Club. Minnesotans will be representing the U.S. in both the men's and women's draws of the senior championships after winning national titles in February. The women's team, skipped by Margie Smith of Shoreview, also includes Debbie Dexter of St. Paul, Rachel Orvik of Shoreview and Sally Barry of Eagan. Minnesotans on the men's team, skipped by Geoff Goodland of Eau Claire, Wis., include Tim Solin of Mahtomedi and Ken Olson of Plymouth. For schedules and more information, go to www.stpaulcurlingclub.org.

• The University of Minnesota's Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport will present its spring lecture, "The Female Athlete and Concussions," at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Hubert H. Humphrey Center's Cowles Auditorium. Panelists will discuss the latest research on the impact of concussions in women athletes. Admission is free.