PRINCETON, N.J. -- A pair of first-year athletes from the Yale fencing teams earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors, as announced by the conference on Thursday morning. Sophie Liu and Yonjae Kim achieved the recognition after winning their respective individual conference titles last weekend at the Ivy League Championships hosted by Princeton.

Liu won the conference crown in saber on the women's side, becoming Yale's first individual champion since teammate Kristina Petrova in 2024. Liu recorded a perfect 15-0 record, helping lead the Bulldogs to a fourth-place team finish.

Kim prevailed in men's foil, posting a 7-2 record over the two-day event. The first year clinched Yale's 14-13 victory over Princeton, securing the Bulldogs' third-place finish — their best result since 2019.

Liu and Kim also earned First Team All-Ivy honors by placing in the top three of their respective weapons. Fellow first year Jia Chen also earned recognition after a second-place finish in women's foil. On the men's side, Jack Pan and David Frumgarzts received Second Team All-Ivy accolades after tying for fourth in saber.

Seniors Amanda O'Donnell and Vinni Yu were named Yale's Academic All-Ivy honorees.

Select Yale athletes will compete at NCAA Regionals in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Sunday, March 8.