To Kristen Gaffney, the ultimate reward for her stellar career would have been for her to lead Green Hope to the state girls’ basketball championship.

But the most horrible of luck – the tearing of ligaments in the ankle during the 2011 playoffs and the tearing of her ACL in the 2012 playoffs – didn’t allow that to happen.

But on Saturday, Gaffney earned the individual award for any player in the state as she was voted AP state player of the year.

Gaffney earned 12 votes, edging Charlotte Providence Day’s Tiffany Mitchell who had eight votes.

The Vanderbilt recruit ended her career with the seventh-most points in NCHSAA history and the most among any Wake County player.

Graham breaks N.C. record: Cary Academy distance runner Thomas Graham ran the fastest time by a N.C. high school athlete in the 5,000-meter run at the Raleigh Relays on Friday.

Graham completed the event in a scorching 14.11.66, which also places him 15th all-time among high school runners the United States.

There are two Olympians in the all-time top 15, and the record is held by Galen Rupp of Portland, who ran 13:37.91 in 2004.

Mangini on Bulls: Apex High graduate Matt Mangini is on the Durham Bulls’ opening day roster, the team announced last week. Mangini, who played college ball at N.C. State before transferring to Oklahoma State, appeared in 11 games for the Seattle Mariners in 2010 and spent all of last year in AAA before being released in the offseason.

The third baseman had eight hits in 38 major league at-bats (.211) including one RBI.

Last winter, Mangini had his jersey honored at Apex.

Apex, PC split in tennis: Green Hope is still atop Tri-Nine Conference boys tennis with an undefeated record, but the battle for the league’s other automatic playoff spot is heating up.

Apex and Panther Creek split the season series, which puts Apex at 10-3 in the Tri-Nine, while PC is 7-2. The season is set to end next week.

If the two teams finish in a tie, they will likely play a tiebreaker match for the automatic bid. But Panther Creek has to play Green Hope one more time while Apex hasplayed the Falcons twice.

No winner in Charger tourney: Cary Academy’s undefeated baseball team was set to play in the championship game of the Charger tournament, which it also hosted. But rain throughout Saturday morning stopped the tournament in its tracks, and there is no make up for the championship games.

Cary Academy (5-0) and Wake County Homeschool (7-3) each went 2-0 in the tournament. Wake Christian (10-3), was set to play North Raleigh Christian (3-5) in the third-place game.