Former Tucson high standout Johnnie Blockburger was named Pac-12 Track and Field Freshman of the Year.
According to a release, Blockburger won the 400 meters in his first Conference meet with a time of 45.57. The fastest freshman in the NCAA this season, his PR of 44.71 from early April is a school record, No. 6 in the country and meets the Olympic Trials qualifying standard.
Blockburger also anchored Arizona’s second-place 4×400-meter relay at the Pac-12 Championships, which crossed in 3:08.75.
This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to achieve either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but collegiate and professional recognitions. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know.
Portions from news release.
We recognized 134 athletes in 2020 and 85 athletes this year so far.
Johnnie Blockburger/Track
Tucson High/Arizona
Pac-12 Track Athlete of the Week (3/25)
Pac-12 Track Athlete of the Week (4/14)
Pac-12 Freshman of the Year (5/19)
Alex Parkhurst/Beach Volleyball
Salpointe/Arizona
Pac-12 Second Team (5/21)
Blaise Biringer/Softball
Cienega/Mississippi
SEC Freshman of the Week (4/13)
All-SEC Freshman Team (5/11)
Celine Pacheco/Softball
Empire/Milwaukee School of Engineering
NFCA Great Lakes 2nd Team (5/20)
Stacy Iveson/Softball
Catalina/Pima/Yavapai (coach)
NJCAA Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (5/21)
Carlie Scupin/Softball
Tucson High/Arizona
Pac-12 Freshman of the Week (3/2)
Pac-12 Player of the Week (3/2)
Pac-12 Player of the Week (4/26)
All Pac-12 Freshman Team (5/16)
NFCA West 3rd Team (5/20)
Bailey Thompson/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Seattle
WAC Athlete of the Week Nominee (3/15)
WAC Athlete of the Week (3/29)
WAC Athlete of the Week Nominee (4/12)
All-WAC First Team (5/12)
NFCA Pacific 3rd Team (5/20)
Halle Morris/Softball
Canyon del Oro/ Utah
NFCA Pacific 3rd Team (5/20)
Ellessa Bonstrom/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Utah
All Pac-12 Third Team (5/16)
Lauren Wedman/Softball
Sahuaro/Colorado Mesa
RMAC Preseason Players to Watch (2/11)
RMAC Player of the Week (3/2)
NFCA South-Central 1st Team (5/20)
Derrick Calvillo/Baseball
CDO/Dickinson State
NSAA Player of the Week (4/12)
Jake Federico/Baseball
Tucson/Briar Cliff
Briar Cliff Athlete of the Week (3/15)
All-GPAC Honorable Mention (5/17)
Manuel Quiroz/Soccer
Sunnyside/Pima
Region I, D-II Finals Most Valuable Player (5/15)
John Michael Gonzalez Jr./Baseball
Empire/Rainy River
MCAC Player of the Week (4/19)
MCAC North Division Player of the Year (5/12)
All-MCAC Baseball Team (5/13)
Mateo Sierras/Baseball
Tucson/Rainy River
MCAC Pitcher of the Week (3/22)
MCAC All-North Division Team (5/12)
All-MCAC Baseball Team (5/13)
Akira Jones/Track & Field
Saint David/Pima
NJCAA D-I All-American (5/13)
Reise Way/Track & Field
Buena/Pima
NJCAA All-American (5/13)
Sam Lossou/Soccer
Rincon UHS/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (5/13)
First Team All-Region I (5/13)
Juan Suarez/Soccer
Desert View/Pima
All-ACCAC Honorable Mention (5/13)
Second Team All-Region I (5/13)
Francisco Manzo/Soccer
Salpointe/Pima
All-ACCAC Honorable Mention (5/13)
Second Team All-Region I (5/13)
Dave Cosgrove/Soccer
Catalina/Pima Coach
ACCAC Coach of the Year (5/13)
Reece Gardner/Track & Field
Marana/Pima
NJCAA All-American (5/12)
Alyssa Trejo/Softball
Tucson/UNLV
Rebel of the Week (4/30)
Mia Trejo/Softball
Tucson/UNLV
Mountain West Player of the Week (5/4)
Rebel of the Week (5/5)
All-Mountain West Second Team (5/12)
Jonathan Lerma/Baseball
Catalina/Central Lakes
MCAC All-Central Division Team (5/12)
Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage/Softball
Salpointe/Grand Canyon
WAC Athlete of the Week Nominee (4/5)
WAC Honorable Mention (5/12)
Valentina Franco/Soccer
Tucson/Pima
First Team All-ACCAC (5/12)
First Team All-Region I (5/12)
Alyssa Kopach/Soccer
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
Second Team All-ACCAC (5/12)
Second Team All-Region I (5/12)
Emma Franzone/Soccer
Sahuarita/Pima
Honorable Mention All-ACCAC (5/12)
Second Team All-Region I (5/12)
Espinoza/Soccer
Sahuarita/Pima
Honorable Mention All-ACCAC (5/12)
Second Team All-Region I (5/12)
Saydee Guzman/Soccer
Cienega/Pima
Honorable Mention All-ACCAC (5/12)
Second Team All-Region I (5/12)
Brianna Guzman/Soccer
Douglas/Cochise
ACCAC Keeper of the Week (5/4)
Second Team All-ACCAC (5/12)
First Team All-Region I (5/12)
Ruth Morga/Soccer
Cholla/Park University
Player of the Game (4/1)
Cal Pac Honorable Mention (5/12)
Brianna Hardy/Softball
Buena/Phoenix College
NJCAA D-II Pitcher of the Week (3/14)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (4/2)
ACCAC D-II Pitcher of the Week (4/11)
ACCAC First Team (5/10)
ACCAC Pitcher of the Year (5/10)
Division II All-Region (5/10)
Solymar Navarro/Softball
Sahuarita/Eastern Arizona
ACCAC Third Team (5/10)
Julian De Alva/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Rainy River
MCAC Player of the Week (3/22)
Voyageur Player of the Week (5/5)
Antonio Garcia/Baseball
Pueblo/Rainy River
Voyageur Player of the Week (5/5)
Tristan Shehorn/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Ottawa
SAC Offense 1st Team (4/22)
NAIA Coaches All-America (5/5)
Raquel Lane/Soccer
Desert Christian/Trinity International
NCCAA Scholar Athlete (5/4)
Mikey Lord/Soccer
Desert Christian/Trinity International
NCCAA Scholar Athlete (5/4)
Kiko Romero/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Central Arizona
All-ACCAC/Region I First Team (5/4)
Alex Kelch/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Pima
All-ACCAC/Region I Second Team (5/4)
Taylor Radtke/Softball
Desert Christian/Vanguard
GSAC All-Softball Team (5/4)
Turner Washington/Track & Field
Canyon del Oro/Arizona State
First Team NCAA All-American (3/14)
USTFCCCA Male Athlete of the Week (3/23)
Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Week (3/25)
Pac-12 Field Athlete of the Week (4/14)
USTFCCCA Male Athlete of the Week (4/20)
USTFCCCA Male Athlete of the Week (5/4)
Nalani Hernandez/Basketball
Tucson/Pima Asst. Coach
WER Asst. Coach of the Year Nominee (4/13)
Connor Wierman/Golf
Ironwood Ridge/Pima
NJCAA All-Region (5/2)
Andrew Rivas/Golf
Canyon del Oro/Pima
NJCAA All-Region (5/2)
Reagan Martin/Flag Football
Canyon del Oro/Kansas Wesleyan
Flag Football All-KCAC (4/17)
Diego Bejarano/Baseball
Tucson/Park University
Player of the Game (5/2)
Chloe Gavino/Tennis
Catalina Foothills/NM State
WAC Second Team (4/29)
Orlando Rodriguez/Baseball
Cholla/Rainy River
MCAC Player of the Week (4/27)
Terrell Huggins/Baseball
Cienega/Pima
ACCAC DI Player of the Week (4/27)
Noah Estrella/Baseball
Flowing Wells/Pima
ACCAC DI Pitcher of the Week (4/27)
Gavin Cohen/Golf
Catalina Foothills/Loyola Marymount
WCC Golfer of the Month (3/17)
LMU Male Athlete of the Year (4/26)
LMU Best Moment (4/26)
Clay Branton III/Football
Tucson/Arizona Christian
SAC Defensive 2nd Team (4/22)
Luis Aguilar/Football
Nogales/Northern Arizona
Big Sky First Team (4/21)
Harrison Beemiller/Football
Ironwood Ridge/Northern Arizona
Big Sky Second Team (4/21)
Jonas Leader/Football
Canyon del Oro/Northern Arizona
Big Sky Second Team (4/21)
Abby Doughty/Softball
Cienega/Utah Valley
Preseason All-WAC Team (4/14)
Hailey Tanori/Softball
Sahuarita/NM State
WAC Athlete of the Week (3/22)
Elijah Bussey/Soccer
Buena/Air Force
WAC Player of the Week (4/12)
Shakir Smith/Basketball
Tucson High/Sporting Portugal
2021 Taca De Portugal MVP (4/11)
Robby Campillo/Baseball
Salpointe/Arizona Christian
GSAC Player of the Week (2/8)
Hannah Leitner/Soccer
Rincon/UHS/NM State
WAC Second Team (4/11)
Chloe Kunnemann/Soccer
Empire/Pima
NJCAA DII Goalie of the Week (4/7)
Luisa Chavez/Basketball
Rio Rico/Pima
ACCAC Third Team (4/6)
ACCAC Region I-DII First Team (4/6)
Nikya Orange/Basketball
Tanque Verde/Pima
ACCAC Third Team (4/6)
ACCAC Region I-DII First Team (4/6)
ACCAC Player of the Week (4/6)
Reilly Tidwell/Softball
Mountain View/Western Oregon
GNAC Pitcher of the Week (3/29)
Ezekiel Alley/Basketball
Cholla/Northwest Nazarene
GNAC Player of the Week (1/11)
GNAC Player of the Week (1/18)
GNAC Player of the Week (2/8)
GNAC Player of the Week (2/22)
GNAC Player of the Week (3/8)
NCAA DII West Region All-Tournament Team (3/15)
NABC West District Second Team (3/21)
Brooks Fail/Swim
Catalina Foothills/Arizona
NCAA All-American 500 Free (3/25)
NCAA All-American 1650 Free (3/27)
NCAA All-American 200 Fly (3/27)
NCAA HM All-American 800 Free Relay (3/24)
Tony Torres/Indoor Track
Ironwood Ridge/Colorado Mesa
USTFCCCA All-America (3/15)
Baylee Slaughter/Basketball
Marana/Arizona Christian
GSAC Scholar-Athlete (3/25)
Travis Walker/Basketball
Sabino/Arizona Christian
GSAC Scholar-Athlete (3/25)
Samantha Loving/Tennis
Salpointe/Southwestern College
KCAC Tennis Player of the Week (3/23)
Samantha Quezada/Softball
Mountain View/Bethany College
KCAC Softball Player of the Week (2/22)
Delaney Schnell/Diving
Tucson/Arizona
NCAA All-American 1 Meter (3/19)
NCAA All-American Platform (3/21)
CSCAA All-American 1 Meter (3/23)
CSCAA All-American Platform (3/23)
Roman Bravo Young/Wrestling
Sunnyside/Penn State
NCAA All-American (3/20)
Zachary Bohnenkamp/Track
Canyon del Oro/Northern State
NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence (3/18)
Maggie Oliver/Swim
Sabino/St. Cloud State
NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence (3/18)
Kelsey Siemons/Basketball
Catalina Foothills/Colorado Mesa
RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (3/1)
RMAC All-Academic First Team (3/4)
RMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention (3/4)
Natalie Bartle/Basketball
Ironwood Ridge/Colorado Mesa
RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll (3/4)
RMAC All-Conference Second Team (3/4)
Summer Fox/Basketball
Pueblo/Black Hills State
RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll (3/4)
Robby Wilson/Basketball
Salpointe/Arizona Christian
GSAC All-Conference (3/2)
Luke Morrison/Baseball
Cienega/Ozarks
ASC Player of the Week (3/1)
Emma Morris/Basketball
Tanque Verde/Chaminade
Female Athletes of the Week (2/16)
Bree Olson/Basketball
Pusch Ridge/ Hawai’i at Hilo
Athlete of the Week (2/3)
Mandy Lorenson/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Ft. Lewis
RMAC Preseason Players to Watch (2/11)
Drew Hill/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Colorado School of Mines
RMAC Preseason Players to Watch (2/11)
Alfredo Villa/Baseball
Rincon/UHS/Adams State
RMAC Preseason Players to Watch (2/11)
Abram Carrasco/Basketball
Cholla/Westmont
GSAC Player of the Week (2/1)
Nick Gonzales/Baseball
Cienega/Pirates
BaseballAmerica No. 3 Pirate Prospect (1/19)
BaseballAmerica No. 51 MLB Prospect (1/19)
MLB Second-base Prospect (1/24)
Jake Engel/Baseball
Ironwood Ridge/Dixie State
All-Decade Team (1/7)