2010 – CHRIS JUDGE – FORDHAM UNIVERSITY
Fordham University standout Chris Judge ’80, a former National Team and New York Athletic Club star player, became the 18th inductee into the Hall of Fame, the sixth male player to enter the Hall, the first honoree from Fordham University and/or a New York metropolitan school upon his induction in 2010.A four-year starter, he was named All-East at two different positions during his career while earning letters in both swimming and water polo for all four years at Fordham.
Judge served as captain in 1978 and 1979, leading the Rams to a No. 8 national ranking in 1979. The captain of the swimming team in 1979, he established records as a swimmer and a legacy of athletic prowess that only improved following his collegiate career.
One of the best players in Fordham history, he earned a place among the nation’s most elite players competing in several National Sports Festivals, including the 1981 festival in which the East won the gold medal behind a Most Valuable Player performance by Judge.
Following graduation from Fordham, he continued to play at the highest level of the game and gave back to his alma mater as an assistant coach for the Rams in 1981 before serving as head coach from 1982-89. During his tenure as coach, the Rams captured five MET titles and one Mid-Atlantic Championship.
Among the most outstanding players in the history of the New York Athletic Club (NYAC), he started playing with NYAC as a freshman at Fordham in 1976 and continues to be active in the program. He was inducted into the NYAC Hall of Fame in April 2011.
On the National level, he earned a spot in the United States National Team in 1983-84 and was an alternate on the 1984 Olympic Team.
An age group coach at Hudson Valley Water Polo and the NYAC, he was inducted into the Fordham University Hall of Fame (1996) to join his father and fellow water polo player Francis X. Judge (1987).
Holding undergraduate degrees in finance and accounting, he earned an MBA in Finance from Iona College in 1986 before receiving Certified Financial Planner designation in 1996.
The New York Athletic Club team during their trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1982. Back row L-R: Lou Gioia, Jose Ferraioli, Charles Gulotta, Ray Judge, Chris Judge, Bill Harris. Front row L-R: Dan Solomon, Scott Schulte, Homer Lane, Joel Iannuzzi, Spyros Capralos, Jim Purcell, Tom Gleason and Russ Hertzberger.