Female kicker scores in game (Division I College Football Player!)

Indianapolis Star ^

[Recovering_Democrat]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Katie Hnida became the first female player to score in a Division I game when she kicked two extra points for New Mexico in a 72-8 win over Texas State-San Marcos on Saturday night.

Hnida, a 5-10, 140-pound senior, made her first kick with 5:05 left after Hank Baskett's touchdown catch. With her long blond hair protruding from the back of her helmet, Hnida split the uprights to make the score 65-8, then waved her hands in the air.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Good for her.

[hole_n_one]

Katie Hnida

[staytrue]

It is also good for men's athletics at NM. Under title IX, when 100 men play for the football team, the school must either find 100 women to play at something else, even if it is tiddlywinks or beer chugging, or alternatively, they must find 100 men to kick off the wrestling, golf, tennis or other teams, or some combination of both.

By playing on the football team, she opens up a spot on some other men's team. This may be the future, where you have a lot of women on the football team, taking up space just so some men can play on the golf or swimming teams.

[strela]

Hnida, a 5-10, 140-pound senior, made her first kick with 5:05 left after Hank Baskett's touchdown catch. With her long blond hair protruding from the back of her helmet, Hnida split the uprights to make the score 65-8, then waved her hands in the air.

She's apparently not the first-string kicker then.

At least she's getting garbage time - some players don't even get that.

[Robert A Cook PE]

???

I was at the Div I game at Jacksonville State Univ. in Jacksonville AL two years ago when a girl scored the first time.

Granted, this one is a little prettier .... But this is old news.

Unless she can tackle the kickoff returner when he breaks thru everybody else.

[#3Fan]

I don't care if a kicker plays a "support" position, it's still combat!

(Women in the military humor about the cavemen)

[Gunrunner2]

Kind of ironic that the school they beat (Texas State, used to be Southwest Texas State), was in a movie called "Unncessary Rougness," and in this movie they had a female place-kicker and the school was called "Texas State."

Just odd.

[hole_n_one]

Martin first female to play, score in Division I

[Defiant]

This is a stunt. I have 12 year old players who can consistently kick extra points. Wake me up when they win the starting position and kick a 45 yard field goal. Until then, this is the equivalent of sending up a midget in MLB to take a walk--a carnival trick, not an athletic accomplishment.

[deport]

It's a pity she couldn't have kicked a couple of the 'Texas rats butts' back across the state line......

[yarddog]

This is pretty much a non-story except for it being the first. The PAT is way over 90% successful and it requires precision rather than power.

Interestingly I recall a girl at a Georgia High School a year or two ago who kicked extra points. She was also blond and was named prettiest girl at that school. I think she was also a soccer player.

[hole_n_one]

Jacksonville State is Division I-AA and New Mexico is one tier above at Division 1A.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Jacksonville State is Division I-AA. Having seen Hnida in person I think Ashley Martin is prettier.

The first girl to kick in college was Liz Heaston for Williamette, NAIA Division III, back in 1997.

[deport]

Seems the gal moves about a bit...... [from your link]

At least two other women have suited up in Division I games without playing. Kathy Klop dressed out for Louisville in 1995 and Katie Hnida for Colorado in 1999, but neither saw action.

[hole_n_one]

Hnida's high school stats.......

HIGH SCHOOL: A 1999 graduate of Littleton (Colo.) Chatfield HS...spent three years on the varsity, making 4-5 FGs and 83-87 PATs...long field goal was 35 yards...earned honorable mention all-Jefferson County honors as a senior when she was 3-3 FGs and 27-of-28 PATs

[Defiant]

Longest FG she ever made is 35 yards. Very consistent on the PATs, but any halfway decent HS kicker makes 90 percent, a good one gets a higher percent. My 12 year olds make about 80 percent, and the reason for misses is more often bad snaps or bad blocks than bad kicks. Kicking it straight 20 yards ain't too hard, folks.

[yarddog]

The subject about female strength came up on another thread and I mentioned U.S. Air Force tests which showed females had 30% of the upper body strength, 50% of the mid body, and over 90% of the leg strength of a same sized man.

It appears that kicking is one of the few areas in which females could compete on an almost equal basis.

Of course as someone else pointed out there is eventually going to be a blocked kick in which she gets injured.

[hole_n_one]

Longest FG she ever made is 35 yards

That's not kicking it 20 yards straight, is it?

[GreenLanternCorps]

Go Armadillos!!!

Kathy Ireland is by far the prettiest place kicker...

[TalBlack]

Bottom line: a guy can't take a stupid gift like this and still respect himself or be respectworthy in his fellows eyes. That is the biggest difference between men and woman that I see. Every single traditionally male area that they have entered was dumbed down for them and they have absolutley no compunction about joining and being actually proud of themselves.