1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game

The 1997 Linfield vs. Willamette football game was a college football game between the Linfield Wildcats and the Willamette Bearcats played on October 18, 1997. The game was played at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, Oregon. Willamette won the game by a score of 27 to 0. During the game, Liz Heaston became the first woman to play and score in a college football game.[2]

1997 Linfield vs. Willamette
First Female Athlete to Play and Score
Linfield Wildcats Willamette Bearcats
(2–2) (5–0)
0 27
Head coach: 
Jay Locey		 Head coach: 
Dan Hawkins
1234 Total
Linfield 0000 0
Willamette 77310 27
DateOctober 18, 1997
Season1997
StadiumMcCulloch Stadium
LocationSalem, Oregon
Attendance3,600[1]

Game play

Willamette's Rich Rideout ran a 5 yard touchdown in the first quarter, but it was in the second quarter after Ardell Bailey scored on a 2 yard carry that Heaston took the field and kicked her first of two extra points with 57 seconds left in the first half.

The only points in the third quarter were from Gordo Thompson's field goal, but in the fourth quarter quarterback Chuck Pinkerton completed a nine-yard pass to Kyle Carlson for a touchdown. Heaston kicked her second extra point in the fourth quarter, and the final score was 27–0.[3]

Aftermath

Willamette finished the regular season undefeated and advanced to the 1997 NAIA National Championship, losing to Findlay.[4] The next year, Willamette left the NAIA to join the NCAA Division III, along with the rest of the members schools of the Northwest Conference at that time.[5]

Prior to this game, female athletes at Duke and Louisville had come close to playing in a game but did not.[6] In 2001, Ashley Martin became the second female athlete to score in a college football game, this time in the NCAA. In 2003, Katie Hnida became the first female athlete to score in a Division I-A bowl game.

See also

References
  1. Trimble, Jamie (August 20, 2007). "Alumni Spotlight: Liz Heaston '99 Gets Kicks in more than One Sport". Willamette University Athletics. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2011.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. "Woman Kicks Extra Points". The New York Times. October 20, 1997.
  3. "Woman Kicks Two Extra Points for Willamette". Eugene Register-Guard. October 19, 1997. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  4. DeLassus, David. "Willamette Game-by-Game Results (1995–1999)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  5. DeLassus, David. "Willamette Bearcats". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2010-11-20. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  6. "Woman Kicks Extra Points". The New York Times. October 20, 1997. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
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