Minnesota Scene: Four Lynx named to pool for U.S. World Cup team

Four members of the Lynx were among the 29 players named to the 2017-20 USA Basketball women's national team pool, from which the 2018 USA World Cup team is expected to be selected.

Guards Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen, center Sylvia Fowles and forward Maya Moore of the 2017 WNBA champions are in the pool.

Available members of the pool will participate in a minicamp Feb. 9-11 at the University of South Carolina.

John Shuster and Cory Christensen won all three of their games Thursday to remain undefeated at the U.S. Olympic trials for mixed doubles curling, leading the standings with a 4-0 record after the second day of competition at Fogerty Arena in Blaine.

Shuster, a native of Chisholm, Minn., and Christensen, of Duluth, beat Monica Walker and Jason Smith, both of St. Paul, 6-5 in an extra end. They defeated Alex Carlson of St. Paul and Derrick McLean of Seattle 9-4 earlier, after scoring a 9-5 victory over Vicky Persinger of St. Paul and Jared Zezel of Mountain Iron, Minn.

"We're feeling really confident with the ice, and just really capitalizing on the other teams' misses,'' Christensen said. "It's a good start.''

The Wisconsin-based duo of Nina Roth and Kroy Nernberger is in second place in the standings with a 3-1 record. Three teams are tied at 2-2.

RACHEL BLOUNT

• St. Thomas offensive lineman Matt Beck, a junior center who played for Wayzata High School, was named to the Associated Press second All-America football team.

• The Gophers men's gymnastics team was picked to finish second, behind Ohio State, in the Big Ten Conference preseason coaches poll. Seniors Jalon Stephens and Alex Wittenberg of Minnesota were selected as gymnasts to watch.

• The Gophers women's gymnastics team was No. 6 in the conference coaches' preseason poll. Senior Hannah Hitchcock and freshman Lexy Ramler were named gymnasts to watch.

• Andover native Patrick O'Donnell, the 2017 NSIC Baseball Player of the Year, signed a contract to play for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association.