The Ink Free News sports staff collaborated on our annual year-end Top 10 lists for both individuals and teams in our coverage area. The accomplishments span all three calendar seasons – fall, winter and spring – and our lists will be split into four stories worth of recognition over today and tomorrow. The team and individual lists will be split in half, spotlighting No. 10 through No. 6 and then No. 5 through No. 1 of the respective individual and team lists.

Without further adieu, here is the first series of athletes who made our top 10:

10. RECORD-SETTING WILDCAT – You would be hard pressed to find a more productive player on the gridiron over the past four years than Whitko’s Tanner Hughes. The senior tailback was practically an unstoppable force for a very talented Wildcat team during his senior campaign. He rushed for a single-season record 1,431 yards in 2014 to help lead the Wildcats to a 6-4 record. But that was not the only record Hughes rumbled to last season.

Hughes put the cherry on top of his already impressive career in a 28-0 win over North Miami on October 3 as he finally eclipsed Brandon Watterson as the all-time rushing leader in Whitko history with a new total of 2,735 career rushing yards. By the time it was all said and done Hughes would leave the gridiron in South Whitley with school records in career rushing yards (3,294), career rushes (577) and career touchdowns (38). Hughes also helped lead the Wildcats to a Three Rivers Conference title during his junior campaign and was a key member of the baseball team that went 20-9 this past spring. Hughes will continue his football career at Defiance College in Ohio this fall.

9. FLYING TIGER – Sam Alexander earned a pair of medals at the State Finals to finish off her terrific junior season for the Warsaw girls track team. Alexander placed eighth in the long jump at State as she broke her own school record with a jump of 17-11.25. She also was part of the 4×100 relay team that finished in eighth place at the season finale in a time of 47.72, the second fastest time for that event in program history.

Alexander was also 19th in the 200 at State, clocking a personal best time of 26.07 in the prelims. She was second in the long jump, second in the 4×100 relay and third in the 200 at the Warsaw Regional. Alexander was a champion in the long jump and 4×100 relay and third in the 200 at the Warsaw Sectional. She was a champion in the long jump and 4×100 relay (with a meet record time) and third in the 200 at the Northern Lakes Conference Meet. Alexander helped coach Scott Erba’s team win NLC, sectional and regional championships this spring before tying for 20th place at the State Finals with 10 points.

8. COLOR ME TEEL – She was a key cog in the biggest sports story of the year. Caylie Teel made herself known on the basketball court during the 2014-15 season as a defensive specialist that caused all kinds of issues for opposing offenses on Tippecanoe Valley’s way to its first-ever girls basketball state finals appearance. She helped with all of that, and it’s not even the main reason she made the list.

We have to go back before the memorable basketball run, to the fall sports season. Teel was still on the court and she still made an impact, but it was the volleyball court and the impact was so much greater.

Teel was the centerpiece of a solid Valley volleyball squad that went 18-13 in 2014. Teel made herself known as arguably the best volleyball player in the IFN coverage area and backed that up by coming through again and again on the court. Her fierce competitive streak made her a pain to play against and thankful to play with. By the end of the season Teel would rack up team awards for most kills, aces, blocks and best passing percentage in addition to being named first team All-Three Rivers Conference and team MVP. Teel also captured school records for most kills per season (429) and highest hitting percentage per season (.330).

7. MONEY IN THE BANK – When you are the number one option to score on a basketball team, the opposing coaches will make it their job to find ways to slow you down. Such was the life of Kylie Mason.

The senior from Triton wasn’t just the focal point of defenses last season, she was getting double teamed almost every game for three years. Mason still managed to find a way to score 300 points her senior season and 1,176 points in her career, which ranks fourth all-time in Triton girls hoops.

Mason broke the 1,000-point plateau against Rochester in December and helped Triton to 63 wins in her four seasons. Mason is only the fifth girl in Triton history to break the 1,000-point mark.

Mason also wasn’t too shabby on the tennis court. Adopting the game as a junior to play with twin sister, Kaelyn, Kylie won a pair of singles games in the sectional tournament and went on as a senior to join little sister, Kolbie, to win 17 doubles matches and a Northern State Conference one doubles championship.

6. SYSTEM’S ENGAGED – There is no specific statistic to talk about here, there’s not even a specific sport to reference. Wawasee’s Gage Reinhard was a jack of all trades, so to speak, but he was also a master of all, as well.

Reinhard has made his name known since bursting onto the scene his sophomore year and his talent and leadership only grew from that point on. He became a model player and leader in each of his three athletic seasons over the past year and was named the “Senior Athlete of the Year” by the coaching faculty at Wawasee High School.

Reinhard helped lead the Warriors on the gridiron to a winning season for the second time in three seasons. For his efforts and accurate arm he was named as the IFCA Region 2 All-star quarterback. In the winter, Reinhard established himself as a deadly shooter and willed his team to a sectional title appearance with a 31-point effort against Tippecanoe Valley in the sectional semi-final. Reinhard’s efforts also helped Wawasee earn its first winning season on the hardwood since 2010-11. Reinhard also helped lead Wawasee to another sectional title appearance, this time on the diamond in the spring. Did we mention that he did all of this while playing through a shoulder injury suffered in October against Warsaw? Reinhard summed up what leadership was all about and showed what playing with heart truly meant.