OAKLAND — Rich Harden wanted to keep going, he felt so strong after 55 pitches. Yet Oakland’s star right-hander knows he must pace himself in order to be on the mound in meaningful games come October.

DANVILLE — Jeong Jang thought everything was easy in her record-setting opening round in the Longs Drugs Challenge. She doesn’t expect anything to stay that way on this tricky new course.

SAO PAULO, Brazil — There will be no world championships gold for either U.S. basketball team this year.

MILWAUKEE — With time running out in the playoff race, Moises Alou seemed to concede that the San Francisco Giants’ postseason hopes are all but over.

The Justin-Siena High School cross country teams are looking to improve on their efforts from a year ago.

Down by eight points at halftime, Justin-Siena’s football team kicked it into high gear during the final 24 minutes of Thursday night’s home game against Piedmont to come out on top 44-27.

The Vintage High School volleyball team handled Armijo 3-0 Thursday to run the Crushers’ Monticello Empire League record to 3-1.

After over 15 years of meetings and suits, finally litigation has ended with a historic agreement to please San Joaquin River users, sportsmen and Central Valley farmers. The Bureau of Reclamation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Friant Water Users Authority all signed off. Restoring this historic river will be one of the largest river restoration projects in the nation’s history.

WELLSVILLE, Colo. — Technically speaking, there is no such place as Rincon, Colo.

WASHINGTON — Mary A. Bomar, President Bush’s nominee to head the National Park Service, appeared headed for a quick confirmation as senators praised the British native Thursday for her professionalism and history with the agency.