The Long Island super fan who was invited, disinvited and then re-invited to attempt a halftime field goal missed the kick Sunday – and lost out on the $100,000 prize.
Ashley Castanio-Gervasi, 33, just missed the “life changing” chance from 30 yards in the middle of the Jets vs. Patriots game at MetLife Stadium after a whirlwind week where she had her eligibility revoked from the “Kick For Cash” competition.
The former Stony Brook University goalie had qualified for the finals in October after making a 20-yard attempt outside the stadium in a tailgate zone. She was one of four finalists and the only woman, which she told The Post Monday “gives me a chip on my shoulder.”
Hours after expressing her excitement — and nailing kicks from 25 yards at her school — Castanio-Gervasi was told she couldn’t participate in the contest because of an insurance clause that said she couldn’t participate because she coaches the Long Beach High School’s girls soccer team.
The NFL squad and contest runners reversed course after The Post put Castanio-Gervasi on its Friday cover. Her story sparked a fierce reaction from the sports world — and ESPN’s Pat McAfee even messaged the coach that he was going to find a way to have her kick on “College GameDay” had the Jets not rectified the situation.
She became a Gang Green fanatic thanks to her late, longtime season ticket holding father, Frank, who died from esophageal cancer in 2011. Her plan was to put any winnings toward a house and the Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation.
“I’ll feel happy that I got on the field, and that my dad would be proud that I am even there,” she told The Post on Friday. “I mean, of course it’s going to stink if I miss. I would love to be able to win the money, but ultimately, I’ll still feel proud of myself.”
Castanio-Gervasi, who also assistant coaches varsity assistant basketball and JV badminton, stayed loose ahead of the try and didn’t focus on the pressure of becoming an overnight global sensation that garnered attention from names like Adam Schefter.
“I played sports my whole life, so obviously this will be a different type of pressure, but I’ll just be thinking about my dad and knowing that he’s proud that I even got this far along into something like this.”
She spent Saturday night with her family making fun TikTok dance videos while sporting Jets green sweaters and had her routine, pregame stop at Franco’s Metro Restaurant in Fort Lee Sunday morning.
“No preparation in terms of anything physical,” said Castanio-Gervasi, who had a physical therapy session Friday afternoon after knee surgery on her non kicking leg.
“I’m just going to embrace it,” she said. “I’ll still feel proud of myself that I got into a competition like this.”
