It did not take long for the Americans to leap — or duel rather — to the top of the medal standings at the Beijing Olympics with the help of a Yale alumna.

Sada Jacobson ’06 earned a silver medal on Saturday after falling to fellow American Mariel Zagunis, 15-8, in the finals of women’s sabre fencing.

A trio of Americans saw only the stars and stripes rise to the rafters, with bronze medalist Becca Ward completing the U.S. trifecta.

Former President George H.W. Bush sat in the front row of the stands and saw his fellow Yalie accept her medal as the star spangled banner rang through Beijing’s Fencing Hall.

The finish represented the first time since 1904 that Americans have swept an Olympic fencing event.

Jacobson, who graduated from Morse College with a degree in history, entered the 2004 Athens Games as the top seed in the Olympic women’s sabre competition and managed to win a bronze medal.

She came into this year’s competition slotted in the top spot once again and added to fencing prizes that already included two NCAA championships she captured while at Yale.