University of Kentucky seniors Illka Jantti and Chris McAlpine were named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District IV Men’s Soccer Team. The honors are the second consecutive for Jantti and McAlpine. Jantti was a first-team selection on the 2001 At-Large Team, while McAlpine was named to the second team last season.
“Both of these young men deserve this honor,” Coach Ian Collins said. “Since arriving on campus, they have exemplified what we want from our student-athletes, excellence on and off the field.”
Jantti, a native of Lahti, Finland, was named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America second-team All-American this year and has been a member of the Southeastern and Mid-American Conference Academic Honor Rolls since 1999. He has been named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and the UK Dean’s List for three consecutive years. Jantti, a finance/management major with a 3.88 GPA, is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma National Business Honor Society and the Golden Key National Honor Society, and serves as president of the UK Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
McAlpine, a Centerville, Ohio, native, was an NSCAA All-North Central Region Scholar Athlete selection in 2001. He has been a member of the SEC and MAC Academic Honor Rolls since 1999, as well at the UK Dean’s List, the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and the Golden Key Honor Society. McAlpine, who has a 3.93 GPA in finance/economics, has also been inducted into the prestigious UK Society of Character.
2002 Verizon Academic All-District IV Men’s Soccer Team
| Name | School | Yr. | Hometown | Major |
| Kentucky | Sr. | Lahti, Finland | Finance/Management | |
| Tony Malik | Bowling Green | Sr. | Parma, Ohio | Marketing |
| Kentucky | Sr. | Centerville, Ohio |
Finance/Economics
Brandon Thompson
W. Kentucky
Sr.
Owensboro, Ky.
Electrical Engineering
Orjan Bjaneso
Akron
Sr.
Bergen, Norway
Finance
Dan Bestic
Dayton
Sr.
Canfield, Ohio
Pre-Medicine
Wade Fischer
Dayton
Sr.
Albuquerque, N.M.
Marketing
Kyle Milligan
Akron
Sr.
Hudson, Ohio
Exercise Science
Aaron Byrd
Detroit Mercy
Jr.
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Business
Torbjorn Birkeland
Akron
Sr.
Bergen, Norway
Electrical Engineering
Michael McAfee
Detroit Mercy
Sr.
Portage, Mich.
Business
