Long Island's Ashley Castanio-Gervasi falls short in $100,000 challenge at Jets game
Long Beach High School girls soccer coach Ashley Castanio-Gervasi attempts a field goal during a halftime promotion of a game between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 28, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Jets weren’t the only ones who had difficulty scoring on Sunday. The four contestants in the $100,000 “Kick for Cash” Field Goal Challenge at halftime were shut out.
The field of four included two Long Islanders — Ashley Castanio-Gervasi, an Oceanside High School graduate now living in East Rockaway, and Daniel DeCastro of East Setauket — who both were short on their attempts from 30 yards. Had either connected from that distance, he or she would have advanced to the final and kicked from 40 yards and a shot at the $100,000.
The only contestant who hit from 30 was Ryan Vispoli of Chester, New York, but he was short from 40. Bobby Moore of Brick, New Jersey, was the fourth competitor.
Castanio-Gervasi, who played college soccer for Stony Brook, was told last week that she was ineligible for the contest because she coaches the girls soccer team at Long Beach. The Jets eventually reversed that decision and allowed her to compete.
The lifelong Jets fan had said she wanted to participate to honor her late father, Frank Castanio, who died of esophageal cancer at age 55 in 2011.
Castanio-Gervasi had said that if she won, she would donate a portion of the $100,000 to cancer research.
“The thought of my dad knowing his kid was going to get on the field and kick was a bigger deal to me than the money,” she told Newsday after she learned she would be allowed to participate.
She got that chance.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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