Bronx, N.Y. – (January 8, 2025) – The Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) announced the 2024 ACWPC Division I Men's Varsity All-America Team and National Awards on Wednesday. Following an incredible season and a run to the national semifinals, Fordham head coach
Brian Bacharach was named the Division I National Coach of the Year, while assistant coach
Ilija Duretic received the Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Among those honored on the All-America Teams were Fordham freshman
Luca Provenziani (Rome, Italy) who was named First Team All-America, seniors
George Papanikolaou (Athens, Greece) and
Thomas Lercari (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.), who earned Third Team All-America, and senior
Lucas Nieto Jasny (Barcelona, Spain) and freshman
Andras Toth (Pecs, Hungary), who received Honorable Mention All-America honors.
This marks the seventh straight year (2017-19, 2021-24) that Fordham has had at least one Ram listed on the ACWPC All-America Team. For Papanikolaou, it marks the second consecutive season as a Third Team All-America, while Provenziani is the Rams' first-ever First Team selection. The five honorees are also the most ever All-America selections for Fordham in a single season.
Bacharach and Duretic are the first Fordham coaches to receive a National Coach of the Year award from their respective coaches association.
Bacharach and Duretic guided Fordham water polo to its finest season to date, reaching the National Collegiate Championship semifinals after winning the team's fourth consecutive MAWPC Championship. The Rams went undefeated through the regular season, the lone team in the NCAA to do so, ending the year with a 32-1 record and became the first non-California school to reach #1 in the national top 20 poll. For Bacharach, this is his third award of the season, as he was also named the 2024 MAWPC Coach of the Year and received Coach of the MAWPC Championship.
Provenziani is Fordham's first ACWPC First Team All-America after a superb freshman season with the Rams. He led Fordham in goals (93) and points (160), while being second in assists (67) and third in extra-man goals (17) and shooting percentage (65%). He was the MAWPC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-MAWPC as well as being named to the MAWPC All-Championship Team. Provenziani ended up scoring at least one goal in 32 of 33 games on the year, while his 93 goals scored were the fifth-most in a single season for a Ram and the most by a freshman. He also earned MAWPC Player of the Week honors twice and Rookie of the Week three times this season.
After being an Honorable Mention All-America selection in his first two seasons, Papanikolaou is now a two-time Third Team All-America selection. He earned First Team All-MAWPC honors for the fourth consecutive year after reaching the 100-point plateau for the fourth straight season. A Cutino Award Watch List candidate, he netted 48 goals and 68 assists for 116 points, leading the team in assists, while being third in points. He was also second on the squad in steals (40). For his career, Papanikolaou finished as the Rams' modern day leader in assists (277) and second in goals (242), points (519), steals (209), and blocks (57).
Lercari received All-America honors for the first time in his career after winning the 2024 MAWPC Most Valuable Player Award. He was also named First Team All-MAWPC and to the MAWPC All-Championship First Team, while being a three-time MAWPC Defensive Player of the Week. A candidate for the Cutino Award, he appeared in 32 games in net, posting a career-best 9.10 goals against average, 30 assists, 34 steals, and 11 penalty blocks. He also ended the year with 261 saves, giving him 900 for his career, becoming only the second Ram to reach 900 career saves (Noah Lebeau – 996). Lercari ended his time at Fordham as the team's modern day leader in goalkeeper assists (75) and penalty blocks (23).
Nieto Jasny wrapped up his stellar career as an Honorable Mention All-America selection, after earning a spot on the All-MAWPC Second Team. He reached the 50-goal and 100-point marks for the fourth consecutive season in 2024, posting 59 goals and 41 assists for 100 points to go with 25 steals. For the modern day career leaders, he and Papanikolaou are the all-time games played leader at 132 games, while being fourth in goals (239) and third in assists (207) and points (446).
Toth also earned Honorable Mention All-America honors following an outstanding first year. He was a First Team All-MAWPC selection after becoming the eighth Ram to net at least 80 goals in a season. Like his classmate Provenziani, he scored at least one goal in 32 of the 33 games in 2024 and finished second on the team in goals (83) and points (119), while leading the squad in steals (47), swimoff wins (83), and extra-man goals (20).
The ACWPC All-America award is a prestigious honor that recognizes athletes nationally and throughout all collegiate divisions. This award is presented to water polo athletes who exhibit immense talent in the pool, provide leadership, and have helped build and advance the sport. Recipients are selected by ACWPC member coaches.
