WASHINGTON - Put your worries to rest, Mr. President. Katharine McPhee is well enough to make her Oval Office appointment. The American Idol runner-up has recovered from a nasty bout of bronchitis and laryngitis just in time for her audience with President Bush on Friday, says Eric Green, a publicist with the Fox network program.

LOS ANGELES - The Suns-Clippers series is a battle between the two best teams in the Pacific Division and, in the eyes of their peers, the two best rebuilding jobs in the league.

Michael Lovato found the perfect strategy Sunday. After finishing second last year in the inaugural event, Lovato came out aggressively in the Ironman Arizona Triathlon.

LOS ANGELES - The Suns-Clippers series is a battle between the two best teams in the Pacific Division and, in the eyes of their peers, the two best rebuilding jobs in the league.

Students from Chandler's Hamilton High School finished runner-up in last weekend's Bickel & Brewer/New York University 2012-13 International Public Policy Forum in New York City.

There is no questioning of Desert Vista’s status in the cross country circles of Arizona.

Mesa’s Mountain View High School finished second Friday at the annual Fiesta Bowl band championship competition – bested only by Southern California’s Chino High School, now a three-time winner of the event event’s Grand Master’s trophy.

Lady Gaga won’t be the only performer in heavy mascara on a Valley stage this weekend. Adam Lambert, the Season Eight “American Idol” front-runner defeated in an upset by the mild Kris Allen, will perform Sunday, along with fellow Idol contestant Allison Iraheta. Lambert, whose vocal range garnered comparisons to glam rockers like Freddie Mercury and Gene Simmons, charted a Top-10 hit earlier this year with the single “Whataya Want From Me.”

It wasn’t as dramatic, or disappointing, as 2007, but the Scottsdale Horizon boys golf team finished runner-up in the Class 5A-II state tournament for the second straight year.

Arizona State senior-to-be Azahara Munoz finished runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur held at the 6,516 yard par 72 Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore. The 2008 NCAA Champ fell 2 and 1 to three time NCAA Player of the Year Amanda Blumenherst.

NEW YORK - Being the "American Idol" runner-up has its rewards, too. Katharine McPhee, who lost out to Taylor Hicks in the top-rated Fox show's finale two weeks ago, has signed a record deal with music mogul Clive Davis in conjunction with 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by "Idol" creator Simon Fuller, it was announced Tuesday.

Payton Sorenson of Mountain View and Seth Maddy of Mesquite have been dueling for a while. Sorenson got the better of Maddy and the rest of the field at Saturday's Division I state swim meet.

PHOENIX - The cross country state championship meet included a ravine under water, a reconfigured course, a one-hour delay and a coyote sighting.

Ashley Evans of Brophy East Swimming finished second in the 1,500-meter freestyle with a time of 16:31.74 Saturday on the final day of the U.S. Swimming national championships in Indianapolis.

Maybe it was destiny for Scottsdale Saguaro to play 10 games on Saturday.

Michael Lovato has had a year to figure out how to improve on his second-place finish in last year’s Ironman Arizona. Today, Lovato will learn if he found the answer.