The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) recently named Oakton Community College men’s soccer player Bobak Khalili of Schaumburg to its 2012 Junior College Men Scholar All-America Team. This is the first year that NSCAA has had such a team. Khalili received his award in Indianapolis on January 19, at the NSCAA All-American Luncheon, held in conjunction with the 2013 NSCAA Convention.

To be considered for the team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale), start more than 50 percent of his games, and be a significant contributor to his athletic squad. A sophomore defender, Khalili has a 3.80 GPA while majoring in liberal arts. Khalili was one of only 13 named to the NSCAA’s inaugural scholar-athlete squad.

Khalili anchored a stellar defense that posted six shutouts and allowed just 19 goals during the 2012 season. He also helped lead the Raiders to a 14-4-1 record and to their first appearance in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Men’s Division I National Tournament. In 2012, the Raiders also won the NJCAA Region IV championship and finished second in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference with a 6-1 record.

“Bobby has been an outstanding contributor and leader to our program for the past two seasons,” says Raiders Head Coach Steven Brody. “The standard he sets for his fellow teammates, both on and off the field, is exemplary. He has excelled on the field and in the classroom, and is a shining example of what being a collegiate scholar-athlete is all about.”