BRONX, N.Y. — The Fordham University Athletic Department held its 90th annual Block F Awards Dinner in the Rose Hill Gym to honor Fordham University’s student-athletes for their accomplishments during the academic year.
Among those honored were water polo’s George Papanikolaou (Jr., Athens, Greece/Athens College), who was the recipient of the Vincent T. Lombardi Award as Fordham’s top male student-athlete, and head water polo coach Brian Bacharach, who received the Iron Major Award as Fordham’s Coach of the Year.
The Vincent T. Lombardi Award is presented to the Male Athlete of the Year for distinguished athletic achievements in the winning tradition of Vince Lombardi. The award honors the memory of one of Fordham’s famed Seven Blocks of Granite, who is considered one of football’s greatest coaches.
Papanikolaou, a Third Team Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) All-America selection in 2023, was named the Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference (MAWPC) regular season and tournament MVP in 2023. He helped the Rams win the MAWPC Championship for the third straight season and earn a bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championship. Following the regular season he was named First Team All-League, becoming just the second Ram to receive First Team All-League honors in three consecutive seasons. Papanikolaou’s 2023 season saw him post team-highs in assists (83) and points (147), while adding 64 goals and 51 steals, which were both second on the team.
Bacharach picked up his second Iron Major award as the Fordham Coach of the Year.
He earned the honor for leading the water polo squad to its third straight MAWPC Championship and third consecutive NCAA Championship appearance. Under his guidance the Fordham water polo program has been nationally ranked for most of the past three years, finishing tied for 12th this year. His team has also excelled in the classroom with 15 members earning all-academic awards from the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) and the squad ranking sixth in the nation in team grade point average (GPA).
Information courtesy Fordham University Athletics Communications
