Five Minutes With ...

Throughout the 2010-11 academic year, the North Coast Athletic Conference will give you an in-depth look into the lives of the student-athletes, administrators and faculty members of the conference who epitomize what it means to compete, study and educate at the NCAA Div. III level. We hope that this feature will help people gain a better understanding of why individuals have decided to make NCAA Div. III a cornerstone of their life.

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Name: Zack Nichols

Hometown/High School: Burton, OH/Berkshire

Institution: Allegheny College

Major: History

Minor: Communication Arts

Sport: Baseball




• Why did you choose to attend a NCAA Division III institution?

ZN: Division III athletics allowed me to participate in the sport I love while getting the individualized attention in the classroom that I desired.


• If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be and why?

ZN: I would trade places with JFK because he was a great leader and a ladies’ man.


• How would you most accurately describe or define the ideals on which the NCAA Div. III was founded?

ZN: A more hands on educational experience in which an athlete can compete on the field while actively engaging in the classroom.


• People may be surprised to know that ……

ZN: I love shows on the History Channel about giant prehistoric animals.


• How has your experience been in balancing athletics and academics at Allegheny College?

ZN: The experience has been admittedly tough; however, the time management skills I acquired have been well worth the hard work. Sometimes as a student-athlete you have to sacrifice social/family relationships for the greater cause of participating and competing in Div. III athletics.


• If you are stranded on an island, you would like to be with ……

ZN: Brian Wilson – Pitcher for the San Francisco Giants

• What is the life of a student-athlete studying history like at Allegheny College?

ZN: As a history major I am constantly reading and writing. Therefore, while on the bus on the way to games I delve into a steady diet of reading as a means to pass the time.

• Do you have any hidden talents that very few people know about?

ZN: I make the best pierogies you’ll ever have in your life. No question about it.

• What aspect of being a student-athlete at the Div. III level, do you hope to take with you into your professional life?

ZN: Hands down my time-management skills. I’ve learned how to allocate my time in order to achieve success in college. In the real world I know that I will be challenged with deadlines, reports, meetings, etc., and my time-management skills will help me exponentially.


• What has been your most memorable moment in athletics during your collegiate career?

ZN: I hit a walk-off homerun vs. the #3 team in the nation, Wooster, my junior year. The homerun was also off an All-American pitcher.


• What would you like to accomplish, both in academics and athletics, before you graduate?

ZN: Get an "A" on my senior thesis and make the All-Conference team.

• What’s currently playing on your I-Pod?

ZN: Nirvana, Bob Seger, Kid Cudi, Brad Paisley, Led Zepplin.


• Do you have one coach and or professor in mind that has impacted your career the most at Allegheny College?

ZN: Professor Lyons of the history department has taught me to critically think better than any professor I have ever had. He actively engages and challenges students while allowing them to express their opinions and ideas in their own way.

• What is your most prized possession?

ZN: My college memories.


• In your opinion, what is the most important life lesson you learned while competing at the NCAA Div. III level?

AN: That every member of a team plays a role. Whether that shows up in the stat column, on the field or in advice an upper classmen can give to and underclassmen. Leadership and setting an example doesn’t always show up in the stat column.


• How many hours a week do you spend on Facebook?

ZN: Maybe 1 hour.


• What would be your advice for someone that is considering enrolling as a student-athlete at a NCAA Div. III institution?

ZN: It’s one of the most rewarding, memorable experiences an athlete can ever have if you’re willing to work hard, give it you’re all and be patient. It teaches you maturity that is unlike a “regular” college experience.


• How would you best describe your normal day as a student-athlete at the NCAA Div. III level?

ZN: Wake up, go to class, eat lunch, study in the afternoon until practice, go to practice, come back home, eat dinner, study for a few more hours (if necessary) and chill with the homies.