New Mexico’s kicker not your average player

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2003 | 9:45 a.m.

Katie Hnida kicked herself into the NCAA record books in last year's Las Vegas Bowl when she attempted an extra point in New Mexico's 27-13 loss to UCLA.

A 5-foot-10, 140-pound senior from Chatfield High School in Littleton, Colo., Hnida became the first woman to appear in an NCAA Division I-A game and brought herself and the Lobos national attention for breaking the gender barrier. But don't look for Hnida to be making an encore appearance in Wednesday afternoon's Las Vegas Bowl contest between the Lobos and Oregon State.

Barring a last-minute change of heart, New Mexico coach Rocky Long said that Hnida, a backup to all-Mountain West Conference placekicker Wes Zunker, won't play.

"No, she's not playing," Long said following Lobos practice on Monday afternoon at Sam Boyd Stadium. "Let's put that to rest right now. She will not kick."

But that doesn't mean Hnida, an attractive blond who looks as if she could just as easily be kicking for the Rockettes as easily as for the Lobos, is done playing college football. Far from it in fact.

Hnida said she plans to petiton the NCAA for a rare sixth year of eligibility so she can play another season for Long's squad even if its means backing up Zunker and several other underclass Lobos kickers.

"I have a strong case," she said. "I've only played three years of college football. At this point we don't see any reason why I shouldn't get it."

Hnida, a three-year varsity kicker at Chatfield who connected on 83 of 87 PATs and 4 of 5 field goals, suited up for some games at nearby University of Colorado in 1999 but never played. She transferred to Santa Barbara City College a year after that and also didn't play.

Hnida has appeared in one game this year for the Lobos, successfully converting two PATs in New Mexico's season-opening 72-8 blowout of I-AA Texas-San Marcos. Those two kicks also put Hnida into the NCAA record books as the only woman to score for a Division I-A team.

"It's something that has given our program some national exposure," Long said. "Our team has handled her being around extremely well and she's handled being part of our team very well."

"These guys have made me feel such a part of the team," Hnida said. "The coaches and the staff here are such a huge part of this. When I got in to kick here last year it was kind of a success for the whole team because these guys have supported me and watched me work and worked with me. We're a tight team and it comes from the top."

Hnida, who recently flew to Orlando for the Lou Groza Award ceremonies and has appeared on numerous television shows for her milestone kicks, said she has not encountered any jealousy from her teammates including Zunker, who connected on 15 consecutive field goals during one stretch this season.

"Wes is a great kicker and a great guy," she said. "I love kicking with him. He's so supportive. I couldn't ask for anybody better than Wes because I do get the extra attention. But he never has resented it. He's always been supportive and caring and we get along real well."

Hnida said she has replayed her missed Las Vegas Bowl kick more times than she can remember.

"It was really tough," she said. "Trust me, it was on my mind every day and every night. ... I will never forget that hand (blocking the kick). I can remember the thud of the ball hitting it. For eight months I replayed it over and over."

So what wrong?

"A multitude of things," she said. "I think it was a low kick. That's one of the things I've struggled with since going to college because you don't kick with a tee here. I think I went a little too slow to the ball. ... It was just a multitude of things."

Although she has has yet to become the first woman to kick a field goal in a Division I-A game -- Hnida's range is about 40 yards right now -- she said her main reason for continuing her career another year is more simplistic.

"I still am not kicking the ball as well as I know I can," she said. "That's the main thing. I haven't reached my potential as a kicker. I'm still far away from where I was when I kicked in high school. I really want more time to reach my potential here."

As for returning to Las Vegas Bowl and the site of her history-making kick, Hnida has one goal.

"I'm just hoping this year we win," she said. "That would make for a much more positive memory than last year."