If you happen to be reading this column my first suggestion is that you make sure to take a good look at the Hometown section of today’s Transcript-Bulletin. There you will find the stories of 10 amazing high school athletes.

Indeed they all possess some natural athletic ability, but you quickly learn from their coaches that they all worked incredibly hard to achieve success. These stars were also known as great team players.

Our Male Prep of the Year Monte Schmalhaus has been wrestling since the age of 3. By about the age of 12 he became serious about wrestling. When he moved to Tooele for his freshman year he increased the dedication to his sport. He increased his effort each year and pushed himself so hard that by the time he was senior nobody in the state of Utah in his weight division could beat him. He will continue his wrestling career at Utah Valley University.

Our Female Prep of the Year Sammie Jensen was the top scorer on the Grantsville girls basketball team which won the Region 11 championship with a 9-1 record and finished fifth in state with a 20-5 overall mark.

Three of our top five female athletes this year were members of the successful Grantsville girls basketball team. Kelsi Wells was the second leading scorer on the team and combined with Jensen the pair turned out to be a one-two scoring punch averaging 33 points per game. We also added Ashley Bartlett to the list who coaches say was the one of the hardest working athletes in the school. Both Bartlett and Wells were three-sport athletes this year.

Childs was a starting player in football, basketball and baseball at the school for three years. We put him No. 2 on our list of top male athletes. Childs was the workhorse this year for the GHS football team and could turn on the speed to score touchdowns. He completed a superb career in basketball and junior college coaches are recruiting him. With his speed he could chase down fly balls in center field and proved to be a top pitcher.

The athlete who picked up the top post-high school athletic scholarship was Jordan Clemente who signed a full-ride scholarship to play football at Weber State. We have him No. 3 on our list, but strong arguments can be made for Clemente and Childs as the top male athlete this year.

Tooele High School football coach Ray Groth has coached athletes who are now playing in the NFL and several others who have played in college. He said Clemente was “one of the best kids I’ve ever coached.” Like Childs, Clemente was a workhorse and found himself battling hard against some of Region 7’s tall and talented post players in basketball. He spread his ability around and also became a top hurdler for the track team.

Jake Dalton of THS slipped in at No. 4 on our list because of his superb play for the THS basketball team. By the end of the season he was running the show from his point guard position and was an ultimate team player, according to his coach.

It’s difficult to compare an athlete at Dugway or Wendover with athletes at larger schools. But one player from each school made it on our list of top athletes. Morgan Kartchner of Dugway and Jennie Bateman of Wendover.

We rewarded senior Morgan Kartchner with the No. 5 spot on our boys list because he starred in four sports at Dugway for four years and on many occasion throughout those years he would simply pummel opponents with his shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Like our other top players, Kartchner’s work ethic was incredible, according to his coaches.

For the first time in the history of the school, a Wendover female basketball player will play college basketball. Her name is Jennie Bateman and she is No. 4 on our list of top female athletes. Bateman also was named first team all-state in 1A basketball. She played volleyball and placed fifth in the javelin at the 1A track meet.

In all likelihood a THS softball pitcher is going to make the list of top 5 female athletes because to be a starting pitcher for a THS softball team you’ve got to be good. Mattie Snow was terrific this year and helped her team take second in state and win a region title. She’s No. 3 on our list of top female athletes.

Mark Watson: mwatson@tooeletranscript.com