College Update: Gangi has career-best effort for Nevada football
The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.
Ty Gangi (St. Francis High, 2014) University of Nevada football junior: The former Golden Knights standout keeps coming up with big performances this season as quarterback for the Wolf Pack.
Gangi had a stellar performance Saturday, unfortunately it came in a 44-42 Mountain West Conference loss to Colorado State.
The junior completed 33 of 40 passes for a career-high 428 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
Gangi is the first Nevada quarterback to throw for over 400 yards since Colin Kaepernick threw for 404 against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 1, 2007. His 428 yards passing are the most since David Neill threw for 474 at San Jose State on Nov. 10, 2001.
For the season, Gangi has completed 114 of 194 passes for 1,435 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Nevada (1-6, 1-2 in conference) will face Air Force in a conference game Friday at home.
Heidi Eligio (Burroughs High, 2017) Cal State Northridge women’s cross-country freshman: The former Indians athlete has emerged as one of the Matadors’ up and coming runners in her first season on the collegiate level.
In CSUN’s last tune-up meet before Big West Conference competition, the Matadors finished ninth out of 15 teams with 258 points Saturday at the UCR Highlander Invitational in Riverside.
In the 5-kilometer race, Eligio was CSUN’s sixth finisher, placing 86th in 19 minutes, 37 seconds.
“We’re very pleased with the way both the men and women competed today,” assistant coach Brock Moreaux stated on the CSUN website. “Of the 15 who competed today, we had 11 of them run personal bests.”
At The Masters Invitational on Sept. 10 at Central Park in Santa Clarita, Eligio placed 96th in 20:14.6 in the 6k race.
Next up for CSUN will be the Big West Championship on Oct. 28 at UC Riverside.
Katie Rutecki (Burroughs, 2014) Montana State women’s volleyball senior: The former All-Area player for the Indians is doing well on a Bobcats team that has struggled at times this season.
Seeing time in 13 of the team’s 17 matches this season, Rutucki is second on the team in assists with 185. In addition, she has 14 kills and 36 digs.
In Montana State’s last contest Saturday, a 25-19, 25-22, 25-19 loss to Northern Colorado in a BIg Sky Conference matchup, Rutucki had 15 assists and two kills.
Montana State is 6-11, 2-6 in conference. The Bobcats will host Northern Arizona Thursday in a Big Sky Conference contest.
Ruticki, a setter, was an California Community College Athletic Assn. All-Southern California Regional team honoree and all-conference first-team selection at College of the Canyons before joining the Bobcats program as a junior.
Casey Basso (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2014) Houston Baptist women’s soccer senior: The defensive midfielder is finishing up what has been a successful collegiate career for the Huskies.
Basso, a former All-Area honoree, is seeing her share of action for the second consecutive season. She is one of seven Houston Baptist players to start all 13 of the team’s matches and is third on the squad in minutes played with 1,198.
On the season, Basso has one goal, two assists and has taken 17 shots. Her goal came Oct. 6 in a 5-0 victory against Incarnate Word.
As a junior, she appeared in all 22 matches while making 21 starts and logging 1,859 minutes. She was credited with three assists.
In Houston Baptist’s last match Sunday, it fell on the road to Central Arkansas, snapping the team’s six-match unbeaten streak.
Next up for the Huskies (6-5-2, 5-2-1 in the Southland Conference) will be a conference contest Friday at home against Lamar.
Forest Fajardo (Burbank High, 2017) Pasadena City College football senior: The former All-CIF Southern Section player for the Bulldogs is enjoying success on a team with its share of area talent.
Fajardo, who helped Burbank to the CIF Southern Section Division VIII championship game in 2016, is third among Lancers players in receiving with 144 yards and third in receptions with 16. He has one touchdown.
Fajardo’s best effort of the season came Sept. 2 in a nonconference loss to Long Beach City College in which he had nine catches for 85 yards.
Pasadena features a stiffing defense that includes Burbank’s Andy Reyes (13 tackles) and La Cañada David Vardanian (15 tackles).
The Lancers (3-3. 2-0 in the American Metro Conference) have a three-game winning streak. Their defense ranks among the best in the state with 24 takeaways (14 interceptions and 10 fumbles) for an average of four a game.
Pasadena will face Glendale Community College at home Saturday in a conference contest.
Twitter: @jefftsports
