College Update: Williams’ homecoming ends in defeat

The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.

James Williams (Burbank High, 2015) Washington State football freshman: It wasn’t the sort of homecoming that the former Bulldogs star had hoped for in his return to Southern California.

Williams and high-flying Washington State, which averaged 40.3 points per game heading into Tuesday afternoon’s Holiday Bowl, were held in check in a 17-12 defeat to Minnesota at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium.

The loss capped an up-and-down season for the Cougars, who finished second in the PAC-12 North Division.

After opening with two losses, Washington State rallied for eight straight wins. Tuesday’s loss, however, was the third consecutive defeat to cap an 8-5 season.

As for the contest, Williams rushed four times for 12 yards, while he had one reception late for 29 yards.

For the season, Williams carried the ball 102 times for 585 yards and six touchdowns, with 48 receptions for 342 yards and one score.

On Dec. 20, Williams was named to the Athlon Sports PAC-12 All-Freshmen team.

Robert Awunganyi (Burroughs High, 2015) Colorado State University freshman: It was a year of learning for the Burroughs High product.

Awunganyi played in nine games for the Rams and finished with five tackles and one pass break-up. The 6-foot, 170-pound true freshman also returned one kickoff for four yards.

The defensive back’s first season concluded at Thursday’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Albertson’s Stadium in Boise, Idaho. Playing in temperatures in the 20s, the Rams lost a shootout to Idaho, 61-50.

The combined point total was the third-most in college football bowl game history, while the 84 points scored in the second half were the highest point total ever scored in any one half of a bowl game.

Awunganyi added his name to the final stat total with one tackle, which came on the game’s final play.

The Rams finished 7-6 this season.

Michael Davis (Glendale High, 2013) Brigham Young University senior: In his final college football game, the former Glendale High star went out a winner.

After the frustration of three straight bowl game defeats, Davis and BYU came out on top, 24-21, over Wyoming in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium on Wednesday.

The victory was the first for the Cougars since a 2012 Poinsettia Bowl triumph over San Diego State.

Davis finished his senior season having played in all 13 games with seven starts. The cornerback had 23 tackles with 2 1/2 tackles for a loss and one fumble recovery.

Sonja Cwik (La Cañada High, 2013) Wellesley College senior: All that remains for the 2012 All-Area Girls’ Cross-Country Runner of the Year is a final season in track and field.

Cwik concluded her senior campaign in cross-country for the Blue, who finished runner-up for an eighth consecutive year in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).

Cwik placed 10th overall and No. 2 for her team at the conference finals in a time of 19 minutes, 16 seconds on the five-kilometer course at Smith College in Northhampton, Mass. on Oct. 29. The effort nabbed Cwik an all-conference selection, the second in her career.

Cwik qualified to the NCAA Division III New England Regionals at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass.

The physics major was the Blue’s top runner that day, taking 22nd overall on the six-kilometer course in a mark of 22:01.80, which earned her United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Assn. All-Region honors.

Eric Kim (Crescenta Valley High, 2016) Gordon College freshman: Kim and fellow former Falcon and freshman Jonathan Frink headed back east to the small Division III college located in Wenhman, Mass.

Both players are members of the Fighting Scots men’s tennis team and have contributed plenty so far.

Kim is Gordon’s No. 5 singles player and half of the squad’s No. 3 doubles team and owns winning records on both fronts. Kim is 3-2 in singles action and 3-1 in doubles play with partner Mike D’Antuono.

Frink is also 3-2 at No. 4 singles for Gordon and is 2-3 at No. 2 doubles with Peter Godwin.

Gordon is 3-2 through the fall and winter portion of it schedule and is on break until mid-March.

Katherine Sheehy (La Cañada High, 2016) Santa Barbara City College freshman: It didn’t take long for the freshman forward to make her mark.

The striker finished No. 2 on the Vaqueros in goals (10), assists (nine) and game-winning goals (three). Sheehy was one of two players to see action in all 24 matches (24 starts) for Santa Barbara.

Sheehy’s best effort may have taken place Sept. 23 versus West Hills Lemoore in a 5-0 victory in which she tallied five points on one goal and three assists.

Sheehy is one of two locals on the squad and is joined by former Flintridge Sacred Heart standout Sarah Vail.

The freshman defender played in 16 games, made 14 starts and contributed one goal.

Santa Barbara finished 16-7-1 and 6-3-1 in the Western State Conference North Division to take third place and earn a postseason berth.

The Vaqueros were seeded No. 14 in the Southern California Regionals, but went 4-0 and defeated No. 2 Santiago Canyon, 1-0, on Nov. 26 at Santiago Canyon to advance to the CCCAA Final Four at Ventura College.

Santa Barbara’s run ended in the Final Four semifinal when it was defeated by Northern California top-seeded Diablo Valley, 2-0.

Alisa Shinn (Crescenta Valley High, 2016) Pasadena City College freshman: The reigning All-Area Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year is making a name for herself with the Lancers.

Shinn has played in 15 of 16 games for Pasadena City College with two starts and is averaging 9.7 points, a team-leading 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.5 assists and 19.7 minutes per game.

Shinn helped Pasadena end a drought when she tallied 16 points and four block shots off the bench in the Lancers’ 79-50 victory over Gavilan College in the championship game of the Los Angeles Southwest Tournament on Nov. 20.

The win secured Pasadena’s first tournament championship in three years and garnered Shinn all-tournament honors.

The 6-foot-3 Shinn is part of a powerful one-two local punch for the Lancers, who start 6-3 Glendale High alumna Kailyn Gideon at center.

Gideon has started all 16 games for Pasadena and is averaging 7.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, a team-leading 2.9 blocks and 27.7 minutes per game.

Gideon was named all-tournament for her work in the Sequoias Tournament, in which Pasadena went 3-1 and placed third.

The Lancers are 13-3 and will be back in action Jan. 6 at Cerritos College.