Katie Koestler wasn’t sure what to expect when she showed up for a tryout for the USA Junior Nationals all-state team.

A fun afternoon of basketball? Sure. A good workout? Most likely. A spot on the all-state team and a trip to Ohio for the national competition? Not in a million years.

After four games against players from across Mississippi that’s just what Koestler got. She earned a spot on the Mississippi team that will compete against other all-star teams from around the country in the USA Junior Nationals International Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio, July 24-30.

&#8220I guess I’m pretty excited about going up there. I don’t know if we’ll win anything, but we’ll do our best,” said Koestler, a 15-year-old sophomore at Porters Chapel Academy.

The Junior Nationals is an all-star program based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Preliminary competitions are held in 42 sites around the country, and the top players at each are selected to advance to the national sports festival.

About 120 other players attended the same preliminary tryout – held in March at Millsaps College in Jackson – as Koestler. They played four games over the course of the afternoon, and were evaluated as they went along. Koestler said she felt like she improved as the day progressed.

&#8220The first game I didn’t do that good, and I was thinking I wouldn’t make it,” Koestler said. &#8220The third and fourth games were good. I scored a little more, played defense a little better.”

After the tryout, Koestler still wasn’t sure where she stood. A couple of weeks later, she found out. The Junior Nationals office sent her a letter informing her she had been selected for the Mississippi team.

Koestler still isn’t sure where she rates among the players chosen, but figures she can hold her own.

&#8220There’s going to be great ones, OK ones and not-so great ones,” Koestler said of the players at the national competition. &#8220Somewhere between the two is where I’m going to be. Somewhere between OK and great.”

The Junior Nationals competition in July will be the biggest event in a summer full of basketball Koestler. She plans to play for an AAU team this summer and participate in &#8220as many camps as I can find.”

When she returns to school in August she’ll take a break from competitive basketball to play softball for PCA. Come October, though, she’ll be back in the gym suiting up for the Lady Eagles.

The 5-foot-9 post player started every game for PCA last season, but didn’t have great numbers. Head coach Chris Etheridge was injured in a car wreck after the Lady Eagles’ third game, and the team – along with Koestler – never seemed to find its footing.

Koestler believes that will change next season, though. A year older and wiser, and with plenty of solid summer experience under her belt, she believes she’s ready to contribute a lot to the Lady Eagles’ program in 2006.

&#8220This will give me a lot more confidence for next year. I had no confidence whatsoever,” Koestler said. &#8220I’m trying to improve my stuff at Porters Chapel so when we come back it’ll help the team.”