HACKENSACK, N.J. – A group of four extraordinary Knights – including three former student-athletes and one administrator – comprises the 2026 FDU Athletics Hall of Fame class, announced on Friday. These four inductees make up the 25^th class in the Hall of Fame's history, which was established in 1999.

The 2026 class includes Arvis Berzins (Men's Tennis, 2015), Liat Vizenfeld (Women's Bowling 2015), Gabriela Santini (Women's Golf, 2018) and Steve Hurlbut (Director of Athletics, 1998-2002).

This distinguished group will be inducted during a ceremony at FDU on February 13, 2026. If you are interested in attending, please contact Lorraine Fecanin.

"It is always a great thrill to announce the Hall of Fame class," said Senior Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Bradford Hurlbut. "These individuals made great impacts in their respective sports and left an indelible mark on the University as a whole. I am looking forward to celebrating their accomplishments throughout the coming months as we honor the great tradition of FDU Athletics. On a personal level, it will be exciting night for my family as we welcome my brother, Steve, into the Hall."

Arvis Berzins (2011-2015), Men's Tennis
Arvis Berzins' time at FDU was defined by excellence both on the tennis court and in the classroom. Berzins was a four-time NEC Player of the Year, which set a league record.  Following his freshman season, Berzins became the first student-athlete in NEC history to earn both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors in the same season. A native of Latvia, he was also a four-time NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and twice recognized as a Capital One Academic All-American. Berzins earned First Team All-NEC honors in all four seasons and compiled 74 career victories, including an 18–2 mark in conference play. He was also named FDU's Walter Marusyn Athlete of the Year as both a junior and senior.

Liat Vizenfeld (2011-2015), Women's Bowling
Liat Vizenfeld was a cornerstone of one of the most successful eras in FDU women's bowling history. Uniquely, she was the first international bowler at FDU. During her tenure, the Knights captured four consecutive NEC regular-season championships and advanced to four NCAA Tournaments, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2012. She closed her collegiate career with an NEC Championship title in 2015. Individually, the Israel native earned NTCA All-American honors twice and was named NEC Bowler of the Year in both 2014 and 2015. Vizenfeld also excelled academically, earning NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in her junior and senior seasons and being named an NTCA Academic All-American in each of her final three years.

Gabriela Santini (2014-2018), Women's Golf
Gabriela Santini played a pivotal role in another championship chapter of FDU women's golf. During her career, the Knights captured three NEC Championships in four seasons (2015, 2016, and 2018). As a freshman, Santini delivered one of the most memorable performances in program history, firing a bogey-free 70 in the final round of the NEC Championship to secure the individual title. She was named NEC Rookie of the Year and earned First Team All-NEC honors that season. Santini later returned to the First Team as a senior and was selected Second Team All-NEC as both a sophomore and junior. Following graduation, the Puerto Rico native returned to FDU to serve as an assistant coach from 2018–20.

J. Stevens Hurlbut (1998-2002), Director of Athletics
Steve Hurlbut served as FDU's Director of Athletics from 1998 to 2002 and left a lasting impact on the department. During his tenure, he oversaw 18 varsity sports and implemented the University's first full-time academic support staff for student-athletes. Hurlbut also established the FDU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999, creating a lasting platform to honor Knights legends. Under his leadership, the department added women's soccer and women's bowling—two programs that have flourished at the national and conference levels. Women's bowling has since captured two NCAA national championships, while women's soccer has claimed five NEC regular-season titles and made two NCAA Tournament appearances. His tenure also included the men's soccer program's historic Elite Eight run in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

FDU's newest Hall of Famers will also be recognized at halftime of FDU men's basketball's game against Central Connecticut at the Bogota Savings Bank Center on February 13 at 2 p.m.

Learn more about the FDU Athletics Hall of Fame

About FDU Athletics
FDU is home to 23 NCAA Division I teams. A member of the NEC, the Knights have had tremendous success in the classroom, in athletic competition as well as giving back to the Bergen County community. FDU became the first school in NEC history to win championships in women's volleyball, women's soccer, and men's soccer in the same season (2022). In 2023, the Burgundy and Blue also became the first NEC school to win two games as a 16-seed in the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, including an upset over top-seeded Purdue. As a result of its incredible 2022-23 season, FDU placed 92nd in the Learfield Director's Cup, the first NEC program to finish in the Top 100. In 2024, Salif Mane captured the Triple Jump title at the 2024 NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, went on to win the gold medal at the Team USA Olympic Trials, and compete at the Paris Olympics. In 2025, FDU won four conference championships in the span of 35 days in women's basketball, women's bowling, women's golf, and women's tennis. Off the field, FDU student-athletes were recognized for their efforts in the community by winning the NEC Building Communities Award in 2020, 2024 and 2025. In addition to recent championships, FDU holds four additional national championships, two in sport of women's fencing and two in women's bowling.