The Tracy High wrestling team announced its team awards for the 2011-12 season at the team awards banquet at Tracy High on April 18.

Varsity co-captain Albert Landeros, a junior, was the recipient of the Charlie Payne award, which honors the wrestler who brought the most value to his team. Landeros brought a strong worth ethic to the practice room and inspired his teammates to compete at a higher level. He finished the season as SJAA league champion in the 122-pound weight class, all-conference selection, divisional placer, and was one match away from qualifying for the state tournament.

Varsity co-captain Zach Blackwell, a senior, earned the “True Grit” Danae Marie Dias memorial award and scholarship. The award recognizes Blackwell’s contributions to the team as a varsity wrestler since his freshman year and as a team leader. Zach brought a technical approach to wrestling and is a student of the art of wrestling, and is now researching his potential to wrestle at the collegiate level. Blackwell finished the season as league champion in the 115-pound class, all-conference selection, divisional finalist, and was one match away from qualifying for the state tournament.

Senior Kendrick Bergmann was the varsity team’s Most Improved Wrestler. Bergmann was injured for most of his junior season and came back in the 2011-12 season as a stronger competitor who placed at both the league and divisional tournaments and advanced to the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters tournament.

Freshmen Tomas Landeros and Noah Blackwell both claimed enough varsity wins to receive their Block T, a rare accomplishment for underclassmen in the middle weight classes.

Senior Justin Woo was named Junior Varsity Most Valuable Wrestler. He too started on varsity and switched to junior varsity for the league tournament, where he took first in his weight class and was undefeated at the junior varsity level.

Sophomore Dalton Gualco was the junior varsity team’s Most Improved Wrestler. He started the season as a varsity wrestler and then switched to junior varsity for the San Joaquin Athletic Association tournament after all-SJAA wrestler Zach Blackwell dropped weight and ended up in the same weight class. Gualco finished the season as league champion in his weight class at the junior varsity level.