Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.
Mads Lawson Named Pitcher of the Year, Five Lions Earn All-Ivy Honors
5/6/2026 11:00:00 AM | Softball
Lawson becomes the second player to earn Pitcher and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
NEW YORK – First-year starting pitcher Mads Lawson was named the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year, becoming just the second player in Ivy League history to win both awards in the same season. Lawson also earned First Team All-Ivy honors, highlighting Columbia's five All-Ivy selections as announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning.
Alongside Lawson, senior Sarah Mikami and sophomore Juju O'Brien both earned Second Team All-Ivy honors. Senior Eleni Katsivalis and sophomore Caylene Nguyen garnered Honorable Mention accolades.
"I'm extremely proud of these five players representing Columbia," head coach Jennifer Teague said. "The tireless work and dedication these five have shown throughout the year is truly commendable. And to have a mix of upperclassmen, sophomores, and a first-year really shows the balance our team has. I feel very fortunate that these five athletes chose Columbia and that I get to coach them every day. Lastly, they are all exceptional teammates and truly embody the culture we have built in this program."
Lawson is just the second Columbia pitcher to be named Pitcher of the Year; she joins Jackie Adelfio, who earned the award in 2003. Lawson also joins Dartmouth's Christine Quattrocchi as the only players in Ivy League history to win both Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.
The native of Rancho Murieta, Calif., was a three-time Ivy League Pitcher of the Week and Rookie of the Week recipient. The Lions' ace finished the year 13-7 with a 2.39 ERA. In 140.2 innings pitched, she struck out 133 and held opponents to a .235 average. After starting the year 0-4 with a 6.30 ERA, Lawson finished strong, posting a 13-3 mark down the stretch. In Ivy League play, she went 9-2 with a 1.50 ERA.
"Mads has been brilliant for us on the mound all season long," Teague said. "What makes her so special is not only her talent and competitiveness, but also how forward-thinking she is in every aspect of her preparation. She understands exactly what her body needs in terms of rest, recovery, and routine, and that professionalism has allowed her to perform at such a high level consistently. She is the ultimate teammate and brings elite intensity to practice every single day. Her work ethic, leadership, and presence have had a tremendous impact on our program, and we couldn't be more proud of her earning Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year!
Mikami earns all-conference honors for the third time in her brilliant career. The 2024 and '25 First Team All-Ivy honoree rebounded spectacularly after a slow start to the 2026 season. A blistering April saw her hit .447, going 17-for-38 with three doubles and five home runs. During that stretch, she hit .542 with runners on and .433 with runners in scoring position. On April 19, she tied an Ivy League record when she hit three home runs in a single game against Cornell.
Mikami finished the regular season hitting .294 with a .563 slugging percentage. Her seven home runs in 2026 give her 19 for her career - fifth all-time in program history. The Irvine, Calif., native also earned Academic All-Ivy honors. Mikami is a chemical engineering major who will graduate this spring with a 4.02 GPA.
O'Brien has had a breakout campaign in 2026. After earning Honorable Mention honors in 2025, the native of Manhattan Beach, Calif., has put up career-bests in every statistical category. She's hitting .344 on the year, which leads the team; her 30 RBIs are also tops on the team and are tied for ninth most in a single season at Columbia. In Ivy League play, O'Brien is hitting a .377; six of her eight home runs have come against Ivy opponents, and she has also driven in 24 of her 30 RBI against conference foes.
Katsivalis earns Honorable Mention honors for the second time in her career. The senior from Yorba Linda, Calif., hit .321 with 11 doubles, 29 runs scored and 13 driven in. In March, the outfielder set a program record with five hits in a game against Presbyterian, helping her capture her first career Ivy League Player of the Week award. Where Katsivalias has really made her impact felt is as the Lions' table setter. Katsivalis is hitting .444 as a leadoff hitter and .441 with 2-outs helping extend innings.
Nguyen backed up her impressive run at the 2025 Ivy League Tournament with a fantastic sophomore campaign. The Lions' Swiss Army Knife has put up career-bests in average (.337), runs scored (23), hits (35), doubles (eight), home runs (four), and RBI (26), all while playing a variety of positions before settling in at the designated player. Her .368 average with runners in scoring position is second on the team.
Columbia returns to action tomorrow afternoon when they kick off the Ivy League Tournament, taking on No. 2 seed Harvard. That game is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Softball by following the Lions on X (@CULionsSoftball), Instagram (@culionssoftball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaSoftball).
Alongside Lawson, senior Sarah Mikami and sophomore Juju O'Brien both earned Second Team All-Ivy honors. Senior Eleni Katsivalis and sophomore Caylene Nguyen garnered Honorable Mention accolades.
"I'm extremely proud of these five players representing Columbia," head coach Jennifer Teague said. "The tireless work and dedication these five have shown throughout the year is truly commendable. And to have a mix of upperclassmen, sophomores, and a first-year really shows the balance our team has. I feel very fortunate that these five athletes chose Columbia and that I get to coach them every day. Lastly, they are all exceptional teammates and truly embody the culture we have built in this program."
Lawson is just the second Columbia pitcher to be named Pitcher of the Year; she joins Jackie Adelfio, who earned the award in 2003. Lawson also joins Dartmouth's Christine Quattrocchi as the only players in Ivy League history to win both Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year.
The native of Rancho Murieta, Calif., was a three-time Ivy League Pitcher of the Week and Rookie of the Week recipient. The Lions' ace finished the year 13-7 with a 2.39 ERA. In 140.2 innings pitched, she struck out 133 and held opponents to a .235 average. After starting the year 0-4 with a 6.30 ERA, Lawson finished strong, posting a 13-3 mark down the stretch. In Ivy League play, she went 9-2 with a 1.50 ERA.
"Mads has been brilliant for us on the mound all season long," Teague said. "What makes her so special is not only her talent and competitiveness, but also how forward-thinking she is in every aspect of her preparation. She understands exactly what her body needs in terms of rest, recovery, and routine, and that professionalism has allowed her to perform at such a high level consistently. She is the ultimate teammate and brings elite intensity to practice every single day. Her work ethic, leadership, and presence have had a tremendous impact on our program, and we couldn't be more proud of her earning Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year!
Mikami earns all-conference honors for the third time in her brilliant career. The 2024 and '25 First Team All-Ivy honoree rebounded spectacularly after a slow start to the 2026 season. A blistering April saw her hit .447, going 17-for-38 with three doubles and five home runs. During that stretch, she hit .542 with runners on and .433 with runners in scoring position. On April 19, she tied an Ivy League record when she hit three home runs in a single game against Cornell.
Mikami finished the regular season hitting .294 with a .563 slugging percentage. Her seven home runs in 2026 give her 19 for her career - fifth all-time in program history. The Irvine, Calif., native also earned Academic All-Ivy honors. Mikami is a chemical engineering major who will graduate this spring with a 4.02 GPA.
O'Brien has had a breakout campaign in 2026. After earning Honorable Mention honors in 2025, the native of Manhattan Beach, Calif., has put up career-bests in every statistical category. She's hitting .344 on the year, which leads the team; her 30 RBIs are also tops on the team and are tied for ninth most in a single season at Columbia. In Ivy League play, O'Brien is hitting a .377; six of her eight home runs have come against Ivy opponents, and she has also driven in 24 of her 30 RBI against conference foes.
Katsivalis earns Honorable Mention honors for the second time in her career. The senior from Yorba Linda, Calif., hit .321 with 11 doubles, 29 runs scored and 13 driven in. In March, the outfielder set a program record with five hits in a game against Presbyterian, helping her capture her first career Ivy League Player of the Week award. Where Katsivalias has really made her impact felt is as the Lions' table setter. Katsivalis is hitting .444 as a leadoff hitter and .441 with 2-outs helping extend innings.
Nguyen backed up her impressive run at the 2025 Ivy League Tournament with a fantastic sophomore campaign. The Lions' Swiss Army Knife has put up career-bests in average (.337), runs scored (23), hits (35), doubles (eight), home runs (four), and RBI (26), all while playing a variety of positions before settling in at the designated player. Her .368 average with runners in scoring position is second on the team.
Columbia returns to action tomorrow afternoon when they kick off the Ivy League Tournament, taking on No. 2 seed Harvard. That game is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Softball by following the Lions on X (@CULionsSoftball), Instagram (@culionssoftball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaSoftball).
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