Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas is a nominee for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Thomas won the women’s Division I championship in the 500-yard freestyle earlier this year, generating controversy in the process as observers and critics debated the fairness of her competing. The Penn athlete had competed on the school’s men’s team for three seasons before transitioning and competing on the women’s team as a senior.
Each NCAA school can nominate one graduating woman athlete for the award (or two, if one is an international student or a person of color). Thomas is the nominee from Penn this year. A total of 577 student-athletes have been nominated for the 2022 award.
In addition to winning the 500 free at this year’s Division I championships, Thomas earned All-American recognition in the 100 and 200 free by finishing in the top eight. She won Ivy League championships in those same three events and set school records in five women’s events this past season.
Thomas discussed her competitive journey in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated earlier this year.
