Katie Hnida

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Katharine Anne Hnida
University of New Mexico — No. 2
Placekicker 2004
Major: History
Date of Birth: May 17, 1981 (1981-05-17) (age 27)
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Weight: 138 lb (63 kg)
Career History
High school: Chatfield High School
 College(s):
University of New Mexico, University of Colorado
Career Highlights and Awards
First female to score in a NCAA Division I FBS football game
Bowl Games
Las Vegas Bowl

Katharine Anne Hnida, better known as Katie Hnida (pronounced NYE duh) (born May 17, 1981), on August 30, 2003, became the first woman to score in a NCAA Division I-A football game. As a placekicker for the University of New Mexico she scored two extra points against Texas State University in the fourth quarter of a 72-8 New Mexico win. (Liz Heaston had previously scored for NAIA Division III Willamette University, and Ashley Martin had previously scored for NCAA Division I-AA Jacksonville State University.)

She attended Chatfield High School near Littleton, where she was a member of the football team. She was 3 for 3 in field goal attempts, and 27 for 28 in extra point attempts in her senior year. She was a member of the varsity team and named one of America's "20 most influential teens" by Teen People Magazine. Rick Reilly wrote a Life of Reilly column about her.

She joined her first college team when she entered the University of Colorado as a walk-on freshman placekicker. She never saw playing time there, however and did not try out for Colorado in 2000 after head coach Gary Barnett released her saying that she would have to compete against other kickers for the job. She eventually transferred to the University of New Mexico, where she made the football team as a walk-on. When she left Colorado she claimed that she was the target of sexual harassment, but did not mention rape. While at New Mexico she played in the Las Vegas Bowl against UCLA, when her extra point attempt was blocked. She graduated in December 2005.

Hnida made more news in February 2004 when she joined a group of women that accused her former Colorado teammates of rape, telling Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly that she had been sexually molested and abused by some of her teammates, and raped by one of them. She never pressed any charges and the Boulder district attorney's office decided not to file any charges against any players based on any of the allegations. Later that year, Gary Barnett, then head coach at Colorado, stated "[w]e have not done anything wrong, there isn’t a shred of evidence to this date to back up any allegations that have been made, and there won't be.” He later defended the decision to release her by saying, "It was obvious Katie was not very good. She was awful. You know what guys do? They respect your ability. You can be 90 years old, but if you can go out and play, they'll respect you." "Katie was not only a girl, she was terrible. OK? There's no other way to say it. She couldn't kick the ball through the uprights." For these comments and other actions surrounding the program, Barnett was suspended.[1]

Hnida currently lives in New York City where she manages her speaking engagements and book tour. She plans to be a sports presenter in the future.

A March 18, 2008 report indicated Hnida would again be kicking in football for the new Colorado Cobras minor league football team.[2]

[edit] Book

Hnida has written a book about her experiences titled Still Kicking: My Dramatic Journey as the First Woman to Play Division One College Football. It was released on November 21, 2006. It details her accounts of abuse and sexual assault while at Colorado, transferring to New Mexico.[3]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ "School faces new sex assault allegation", Associated Press, ESPN.com, 2004-02-18. Retrieved on 2008-02-28. 
  2. ^ Julie Poppen (2008-03-18). Hnida returns to football in Colo.. Rocky Mountain News at DailyCamera.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
  3. ^ Iliana Limon (2006-08-15). Hnida's book finished. DailyCamera.com.