The N.C. basketball coaches association released the 2010-11 district awards last week, and the Tri-Nine Conference was well represented.

Green Hope junior Kristen Gaffney was the girls District 5 player of the year after averaging 31 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.

Middle Creek senior Amber Battle made the second team after averaging 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocks per game.

The third team included Green Hope senior Caitlyn Ranson (14 points per game, 5 rebounds per game), Middle Creek senior Fantasha Tyson (11 ppg, 6 rpg), Panther Creek junior Kayla Seymour (12 ppg), Cary freshman Azura Stevens (14 ppg, 16 rpg) and Cary sophomore Whitney Coleman (17 ppg, 10 rpg).

On the boys side, Middle Creek coach David Kushner earned District 5 coach of the year honors.

Senior Leon Hargrove (14.9 ppg, 4.3 assists per game) and Fuquay-Varina senior Dominique Byrd (16.5 ppg, 9 rpg) were each named to District 5's first team.

Holly Springs' Quentin Underwood (17 ppg, 7 rpg) made the second team.

Tri-Nine golf update: Green Hope (34 points) holds a slim lead in the Tri-Nine Conference boys golf standings through the season's first four events.

Holly Springs (31.5) is second and Athens Drive (27.5) is in third.

Athens' Alex Ehlert still leads the individual standings, but Green Hope's Andrew Fowler and Holly Springs' Grant Houser, among others, trail close behind.

In the Anderson Creek High School Elite golf invitational in Spring Lake, Tim Conover's 75 helped Holly Springs to a 308 for third, and Will Thomas put up a 76 to help Green Hope to fourth with a 312.

Badminton nationals: The 2011 U.S. Senior National Badminton Championships will be hosted by the North Carolina Badminton club from March 23-27 at NetSports in Morrisville.

It is the first time in almost almost 70 years that a USA Badminton-sanctioned national championship event returns to the Triangle.

Youth lacrosse night: All area youth lacrosse team members are invited to attend Cary High's Youth Lacrosse Night on March 31, when Cary's varsity and junior varsity boys lacrosse teams host Holly Springs.

Admission is free if you wear your youth lacrosse team's jersey.

Games are at 4:30 p.m. (JV)and 6:30 p.m. (varsity) on the football field.

Cossa game set: This year's fifth-annual Matt Cossa Memorial event is set for a new venue this year.

This year's fundraiser set for April 9 will be at the USA Baseball Complex at 1 p.m.

In previous years, the Cossa Memorial game attendance has averaged about 500 people. This year, with the larger venue, the goal is 1,000.

The fundraiser is in memory of former Green Hope High baseball player Matt Cossa, who died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 21.

The main event of the Cossa Memorial is a baseball game - this year the opponent is Panther Creek - but plenty of other events are included as well.

All proceeds from the events go to the Duke Cancer Institute for local research and treatment of lymphoma and other blood cancers.