Katie Hnida

Katie Hnida

Player Profile

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Littleton, Colo.
High School:
Chatfield HS
Last College:
Santa Barbara City College
Height / Weight:
5-10 / 138
Position:
Kicker
Birthdate:
05/17/1981
Experience:
2L
Pronunciation:
NYE-duh

NEW MEXICO:

Pioneering walk-on place kicker who returns for her third and final season at New Mexico after the NCAA granted her a waiver and an extension of her five-year clock due to medical reasons early in her career…is one of the hardest-working kickers in the country…rarely rests during practice, participating in scout team drills, running hills and doing other conditioning exercises when not working on her kicking technique…became the first woman to appear in an NCAA Div. I-A game on Dec. 25, 2002 against UCLA at the Las Vegas Bowl...came on at the 8:20 mark of the first quarter to try the Lobos’ first PAT after Desmar Black’s interception return for a TD...her attempt was blocked by Bruin LB Brandon Chillar, however, leaving UNM with a 6-3 lead...two days after the game, Hnida was on ESPN, CNN, ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’ The Morning Show and Fox News This Morning...opened the 2003 season with a bang when she made history once again by becoming the first woman to score in a D-I game against Texas State on Aug. 30, 2003…entered the game with 5:05 left in the fourth quarter following a Tali Ena to Hank Baskett TD pass and split the uprights with room to spare to give UNM a 65-8 advantage…connected on another extra point after a Daniel Ramirez TD run with 1:21 to cap the Lobo scoring…Hnida began sending out personal football highlight tapes to universities in 2002...after reviewing the tapes, former UNM special teams coordinator Jeff Conway contacted Hnida and an arrangement was made for her to visit UNM in May of 2002...it was at that time that head coach Rocky Long extended an invitation for her to walk-on and participate in tryouts during the first two weeks of August…later was on the team travel squad to New Mexico State prior to her Las Vegas Bowl appearance...expected graduate in December

COLORADO:

Became the second woman ever to dress for an NCAA Div. I-A football game, joining Kathy Klobe (Louisville - 1995), when she suited up for Colorado in a game against Kansas on Sept. 18, 1999...also the first woman to ever dress for a bowl game on Dec. 31, 1999, in CU’s appearance in the Insight.com Bowl against Boston College...never did play in a game for the Buffaloes...she attended CU for two years, but did not play...transferred to Santa Barbara (Calif.) City College for 2001-02, but did not play football

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...also voted homecoming queen and participated in the halftime ceremony wearing her uniform...lettered two years in track (400 meters and pole vault) and played one year of junior varsity soccer..as a senior, she was named the Colorado Sportswoman of the Year and was listed as one of the 20 most influential teenagers in America by Teen People Magazine

PERSONAL:

Born May 17, 1981, in Denver, Colo...age is 23...full name is Katharine Anne Hnida...daughter of Dave and Anne...father played college basketball and baseball at the University of Pennsylvania...majoring in History.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Second woman ever to dress for an NCAA D-I football game (Colorado vs. Kansas, 9/18/99)

• First woman to dress for a bowl game (Insight.com Bowl, Colorado vs. Boston College, 12/31/99)

• First woman to appear in an NCAA D-I football game (Las Vegas Bowl, New Mexico vs. UCLA, 12/25/02)

• First woman to score in an NCAA D-I football game (2-2 PATs, New Mexico vs. Texas State, 8/30/03)

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