BRONX, N.Y. — Coach Brian Bacharach, Balazs Berenyi (Sr., Budapest, Hungary/BME Secondary Grammar School), athletic trainer Aidan Gomes, Luca Silvestri (Gr., Napoli, Italy/Istituto Comprensivo Sacro Cuore (Westcliff Universty)) and Andras Toth (So., Pecs, Hungary/PTE Babits Gyakorlo Gimnazium) of the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) Champion Fordham University men’s water polo team capped off the academic year by receiving honors during the 92nd annual Block F Awards Dinner in the Rose Hill Gym on Wednesday, April 29. The awards recognize Fordham University’s student-athletes for their accomplishments during the academic year.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Iron Major Award to Bacharach as Fordham’s Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year.
A six-time MAWPC Coach of the Year (2019-East Region; 2021 – East Region; 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), Bacharach, who receives his fourth overall Fordham Coach of the Year nod for leading the Rams to their fifth straight MAWPC conference championship, with another undefeated conference slate, and fifth consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship appearance. With another undefeated conference record. His charges entered the NCAA championship as a four-seed and proceeded to advance to the semifinals for the second straight year, falling to top-seeded the University of Southern California (USC). The Rams finished the season fifth in the national rankings, the lone water polo program to rank in the top five nationally in both athletic accomplishment at the NCAA Championship and academic success according to the team grade point averages compiled by the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC).
Berenyi received the Benedict T. Harter award, which is presented to the Gabelli School of Business senior athlete who has made significant academic and athletic contributions. The award honors Ben Harter, Gabelli School of Business Class of 1939, a former dean of both Fordham’s undergraduate and graduate schools of business, who was an avid follower and supporter of Fordham Athletics.
A four-year member of the water polo squad who helped lead the program to four straight MAWPC titles, the Finance major with concentrations in Information Systems and Credit is a four-time ACWPC All-Academic and MAWPC Scholar-Athlete honoree.
A 2025 ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention selection who was named to the MAWPC Championship All-Tournament Second Team, he netted 28 goals, nine assists, 14 steals, and a career-high 10 blocks in 30 games during his senior season.
The recipient of the Elite 90™ Award for the 2023 NCAA Division I Men’s Water Polo Championship, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships, Berenyi concluded his tenure in the Bronx with 163 goals, 99 assists, 262 points, 113 steals and 28 field blocks in 129 games.
Gomes is the recipient of the Jack Coffey Award which is presented to a Fordham administrator, alumnus or coach for outstanding contributions and dedication to the athletic program. It is named for the late Jack Coffey, long-time baseball coach and graduate manager of Athletics.
Gomes, who has been a member of the Fordham Athletic Department since 2022, had a full dance card this year. He moved effortlessly from the pool to the gridiron to the Rose Hill Gym, all without skipping a beat. His teamwork and dedication to each of his sports helped those programs enjoy successful seasons, highlighted by the water polo squad winning its fifth straight conference title.
Silvestri garners a National Strength & Conditioning Association All-American Strength & Conditioning Athlete of the Year award recognizing collegiate and high school athletes whose athletic accomplishments reflect their dedication to strength training and conditioning.
One of three Fordham athletes to earn the honor joining James Conway (football), Allison Julve (cheerleading) and Kate McGuire (softball), the Rams’ tri-captain claimed ACWPC All-America Honorable Mention status in 2025. The Most Valuable Player of the 2025 MAWPC Championship, an All-Tournament First Team selection and a MAWPC All-Conference Second Team choice, Silvestri capped his four-year stay at Fordham with his third career 50-goal season and became the seventh Ram to reach 200 career goals. Overall, he notched 50 goals, 29 assists and 25 steals in 2025 to conclude a career that featured pairs of All-MAWPC (2023 – First Team; 2025 – Second Team), MAWPC Championship All-Tournament (2024 – First Team; 2025 – First Team) and ACWPC All-America (2025 – Honorable Mention; 2023 – Honorable Mention) nods.
During his four-year tenure in the Empire State, Silvestri racked up 215 goals, 110 assists, 325 points, 133 steals and 36 field blocks in 106 games to rate as a cornerstone for the current success of the Fordham program. Factoring in his 2021 season at Westcliff, he added 102 goals and 57 steals in 27 games to wrap-up a five-year collegiate tenure with 317 goals in 133 games for an average of 2.38 goals per game.
Toth was recognized as the Rams’ 2025 Most Valuable Player as the ACWPC First Team All-America recipient set the Fordham single season record for goals scored with 134, breaking the mark of 114 by Jake Miller-Tolt in 2019. He added 58 assists, along with team-highs of 72 steals and 31 field blocks to earn mention on the Cutino Award Watch List. A MAWPC All-Conference First Team, MAWPC Championship All-Tournament First Team and NCAA Championship All-Tournament Second Team, the 2025 MAWPC Most Valuable Player is a two-time ACWPC All-America recipient (2024 – Honorable Mention; 2025 – First Team), MAWPC All-Conference (2024 – First Team; 2025 – First Team).
For his brief span with the Rams, Toth has 218 goals, 93 assists, 311 points, 119 steals and 38 field blocks in 63 teams to rank among the best active players in collegiate water polo water on both coasts.
2026 Fordham University Block F Awards (Men’s Water Polo recipients)
- Iron Major Award: Brian Bacharach
- Benedict T. Harter Award: Balazs Berenyi
- National Strength & Conditioning All-American Strength & Conditioning Athlete of the Year: Luca Silvestri
- Athlete Academic Achievement Award (Presented to senior student-athletes who have been selected for outstanding athletic and academic achievement with a 3.5 GPA or better): Balazs Berenyi
- Team MVP: Andras Toth
Andras Toth
Luca Silvestri, Aidan Gomes, Balzs Berenyi & Brian Bacharach
