Las Vegas Bowl Moment 22: New Mexico kicker Katie Hnida makes history
No. 22: New Mexico kicker breaks barrier
To celebrate the local bowl’s 25th anniversary milestone, the Review-Journal will rank the top 25 moments in Las Vegas Bowl history. We’ll relive one moment per day until game day on Dec. 17 at Sam Boyd Stadium:
* Date: Dec. 25, 2002.
* Score: UCLA 27, New Mexico 13.
* Back story: New Mexico placekicker Katie Hnida, who transferred from Colorado, became the first woman to play in an NCAA Division 1-A game when she attempted an extra point against UCLA during the Las Vegas Bowl on Christmas Day 2002. However, her kick was blocked.
* Game: The Bruins held a 13-6 lead entering the fourth quarter. With the Lobos trying to tie it, Jarrad Page picked off a New Mexico pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown. It was the game’s third defensive or special teams score. UCLA’s Tyler Ebell put the game away with a 1-yard run.
* Since: A year later, Hnida became the first woman to score in a game when she made two extra-point kicks against Texas State. She has since traveled around the country to share her story and written a book about her experiences, “Still Kicking.” She continues to play football, competing for indoor teams and currently semi-pro teams in the midwest. It was the only victory for UCLA interim coach Ed Kezirian, who had replaced fired coach Bob Toledo. He was replaced by Karl Dorrell and retired in 2007.
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow @gmanzano24 on Twitter.
