LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – This weekend, 5000 athletes and over 15,000 spectators from across Virginia came out to Liberty University for the largest multi-sport festival in the state.

“We are basically Virginia’s Olympics. There’s just about something for everybody,” said Charity Waldron, the Director of Operations and Media Relations for Virginia Amateur Sports.

People of all ages compete in dozens of sports for Virginia Amateur Sports’ 35th annual Commonwealth Games.

“It truly is like the Commonwealth coming together,” added Waldron.

Youth basketball dominated the courts on Saturday as teams competed for several hours.

“We hoopin as you can see, getting buckets, you know,” said Jayden Reid, a 10th grader from Grassfield High School in Chesapeake.

Reid is one of the players on team Ground & Pound from Portsmouth. The team has been competing in the games for over 5 years.

“Our team, we brothers,” said Reid. ”We’ve been playing with each other for like, since we was in second grade. So like we have a tight bond. It’s a family at the end of the day,” he said.

Ground and Pound coaches Chris, Anwan, and Kenny bring the team back each year because of that brotherly bond and the chance for the players to make more.

“Just seeing all the kids together, all of them getting along. No altercations,” said Chris. “I liked that part of it because you get to meet people from other parts of Virginia that we normally wouldn’t get to see. So I think that’s a good experience for them and them just sharing stories and the camaraderie that go along with them.”

All three coaches agreed their favorite part of the weekend is how the impact on the players goes beyond the courts.

“They get the college experience,” said Chris. “It kinda makes them want to go to college by seeing the campus and a facility. So we definitely love that part of it.”

They’re confident in the team as the second day of the tournament wraps up.

“We’ve been playing great so far. You know, they’re coming together, they’re gelling at the right time. So I think we got a legitimate shot to go this year,” said Chris.

Although the 2024 games wrap up this weekend, the competition, fun and new friendships will be back. Registration is open in January on commonwealthgames.org for anyone who wants to join the Virginia Olympics next year.

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Two additional dogs have died after stays at the same Virginia PetSmart boarding facility where a pet died a few weeks ago, according to animal investigators.

The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said two dogs that stayed at the Potomac Yard PetSmart in June died just days apart. The two dogs experienced illnesses and died within a week of being boarded at the “PetsHotel,” the animal rescue organization said.

The pet owners came forward as the PetsHotel was already under investigation for the death of an Aussiedoodle. That complaint was filed on July 1.

All three dogs boarded at the PetsHotel during the same time frame, the animal welfare group said.

Animal investigators said the Aussiedoodle’s body is currently undergoing an autopsy, but the two pet owners that recently came forward both had their dogs cremated.

Since the first owner’s report, the animal services team has been visiting and inspecting the PetsHotel every two days.

PetSmart has been cooperating with the investigation and animal investigators have been interviewing employees about the incidents. The animal investigators have also requested several records from the PetSmart location.

PetSmart told WTOP’s news partner 7News in a statement that the death of the dogs may be due to underlying health conditions unrelated to the dogs’ stay at PetSmart.

Meanwhile, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is urging pet owners to do “extensive research” when choosing an animal boarding facility. The group has shared a list of factors to consider, including the caretaker-to-animal ratio and how often kennels are cleaned. 

“It is important to mention that animal boarding facilities, unlike animal shelters, are not subject to annual inspections by a state agency, and instead are only subject to inspection if a complaint is filed,” the organization said.

This is the first complaint the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria said it has investigated at the Potomac Yard PetSmart location.

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Keve Aluma will always be remembered fondly at Virginia Tech. The former Wofford transfer followed head coach Mike Young to Blacksburg in 2019 and helped lead the Hokies to their first and only ACC championship in program history.

Before coming to Blacksburg, Aluma spent two years at Wofford, averaging around five points and five rebounds per game. After sitting out the 2019-20 season due to the NCAA transfer rules at the time, Aluma became an All-ACC presence on the inside for the Hokies over the next two years, averaging 15.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-9 Aluma went undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft and began his professional basketball career in Japan. In 2023, Aluma played in the Korean Basketball League. However, his sights remain firmly on making it in the NBA.

This summer, Aluma is playing for the Philadelphia 76ers’ summer league squad in Las Vegas. He’s making his case to earn an invitation to training camp this fall and a spot on the regular-season roster.

Rookie first-round pick Jared McCain (Duke) is the headliner for Philadelphia this summer, but Aluma is arguably the Sixers’ top player in the summer league team.

In one game recently, Aluma made eight of his 10 shots from the field, scoring 19 points and pulling down nine rebounds, leading Philly to a win.

Aluma had another big game on Friday night for the 76ers. Here, he is showing off his passing ability, something Hokie fans know all too well.

Another former Hokie, Hunter Cattoor, is also playing this summer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. We’ll continue to monitor Aluma and Cattoor’s progress throughout the summer in their quest to make the NBA.