PINGEL ON BRINK OF SMASHING RICE'S RECEPTION RECORD

Barring injury, Armageddon, a lightning strike or alien abduction, Scott Pingel will become the NCAA's all-time leading receiver today.

The Westminster College senior, who is a St. Vincent (Perryville) graduate, will tie NFL superstar Jerry Rice for the most receptions ever at the college level with his first catch against Illinois College in Jacksonville, Ill.

He is also 36 yards away from tying the all-division record for most receiving yards in a career. Scott Hvistendahl -- also a Division III player -- broke Rice's career yardage barrier of 4,693 last season by three yards. Pingel will likely pass them both in the first half.

Pingel (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) has amassed a preposterous 300 catches for 4,460 yards in three years. That's 2.5 miles of receptions in a span of 29 games.

The former second-team All-State prep quarterback holds or shares 11 NCAA Division III records as a receiver. The two all-division records he is all but certain to capture today will add to three he already owns -- most receiving yards in a season (2,157), most in a game (395) and most yards per game in a season (215.7).

Pingel was named All-American by several institutions last season, after averaging 13 receptions and 215.7 yards per game.

Though the talent pool at the Division III level is not even close to that in Division I (Division III schools cannot give out athletic scholarships), Pingel's accomplishments are nothing short of inconceivable.

With his whole senior season in front of him, Pingel has the potential to obliterate the record and establish, virtually, an unreachable benchmark. If Pingel puts up the same type of numbers he did last year, he could put 100 receptions and 2,000 yards between himself and the second-leading receivers in college football history.

Pingel, a secondary education/math major, is the leading variable in Westminster's pass-happy equation.

Known for his velcro-like hands, his flawless routs and his prowess at pulling in a ball among a crowd, Pingel is one of several phenomenons at Westminster. Westminster's quarterback, Justin Peery, led the nation in passing last year. The team's tight end, Logan Stanley, averaged more than 100 yards per game. Both were named to various All-American teams.

The Blue Jays racked up 4,888 passing yards on 559 attempts en route to a 9-1 season a year ago. Its only loss was a 51-50 setback to MacMurray College in the season finale. The loss diminished the Blue Jays' remote hopes for a national playoff berth. In that game, Peery overthrew Pingel on the last play of the game.