The NCAA News - Briefly in the News

September 27, 1999

Folks in Minnesota will understand if Michael Nightingale is confused about whether he is a Knight or an Ole since he is actually both.

Nightingale is the new head nordic skiing coach for the men's and women's teams for the Carleton College Knights and the St. Olaf College Oles.

This unusual arrangement was brokered recently between the schools, both Division III institutions and both in Northfield, Minnesota. Less than two miles apart, the two institutions are historical rivals, leaving Nightingale to wonder which sweatshirt to wear and what kind of sticker to put on his bumper.

Both schools will still compete separately and will have different assistant coaches, but Nightingale will be the overall head coach for both teams. Some of the other details still need to be worked out.

The unusual arrangement stemmed from concerns about program stability on the part of both schools. Because of the part-time nature of the job, both schools had difficulty retaining head coaches for any length of time. Nightingale's predecessors at both schools -- Ben Popp at Carleton and John Dyste at St. Olaf -- each coached for three years.

"We decided to try this because both of our programs lost head coaches at the same time," said Carleton College athletics director Leon Lunder. "We're fortunate that a coach of Mike Nightingale's caliber was willing to serve as a technical coach for both institutions."

A 1991 graduate of St. Olaf, Nightingale served as the head men's and women's nordic ski team coach at St. Lawrence University from 1995 through 1999. He also has worked as a coach for Team Birkie and has been an instructor at numerous clinics at the Olympic Training Center.

Nightingale enjoyed a distinguished competitive career, racing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1988, 1992 and 1994, placing 15th overall in 1992.

Even with frequent coaching turnover, St. Olaf and Carleton College have maintained strong programs. St. Olaf finished 22nd at the most recent National Collegiate Men's and Women's Skiing Championships, and Carleton captured the USCSA men's championship.

Nightingale's unique position will certainly create a number of logistical hassles for both schools, particularly regarding practice scheduling and recruiting, but St. Olaf athletics director Cindy Book said she was convinced Nightingale could make it work.

"We're thrilled with the addition of coach Nightingale," she said. "His background and his enthusiasm make him the ideal candidate for this unique position."

Receiver passes the Rice

Scott Pingel, a senior at Westminster College (Missouri), broke NFL star Jerry Rice's collegiate all-division record of 301 career receptions in the Blue Jays' opening game against Illinois College.

Pingel started the season with more than a handful of NCAA football records. He had the most receiving yards in a season with 2,157, the most receiving yards in a game with 395 and the most yards per game in a season with 215.7.

Pingel also owns several Division III records. At the beginning of the season he had the most receptions in a season with 130, the most touchdown receptions in a season with 26 and the most career two-point conversions with 15.

"I'm hoping to use this record to put our team on the map and maybe make the playoffs from here," Pingel said.

Last year Westminster was 9-1 but did not make the Division III playoffs.

Pingel is averaging 147.5 yards receiving and 1.74 touchdowns per game, so it's likely that other records will be falling to him this year.

"I consider (Rice) the best ever," Pingel said of the San Francisco 49ers receiver who set the record at Mississippi Valley State University. "And the record is getting a lot of publicity because it was Jerry Rice's. I hope I don't disrespect him by breaking the record .... If he was in an offense like ours for four years, his record would be untouchable."

Pingel, a former quarterback, credits his success to the team's four-year quarterback Justin Peery as well as to an offense that relies heavily on the pass. Pingel also credits his own experience as a former quarterback, noting that with him as a receiver, "it's just like having two quarterbacks out there."

Score six more for Smith

Senior women's striker Kelly Smith of Seton Hall University, now has 55 goals in 34 career soccer matches.

Smith, who was the leading scorer in the NCAA last season with her averages of 1.41 goals and 3.29 points per game, scored a school-record six goals and added one assist as Seton Hall defeated La Salle University, 7-2.

Smith broke her own record of four goals in a match, which she had established twice in her career. She also set a new mark for points in a match with 13, breaking her old mark of 10. The six goals and 13 points were also the second-most in NCAA history.

Number crunching

Consecutive Winning Seasons

The top 10 consecutive winning seasons in selected fall team sports:

Division I-A Football

No. School Years

46 Penn St. 1939-87

42 Notre Dame 1889-1932#

40 Texas 1893-1932

38 Alabama 1911-50 

37 Nebraska 1962-98