Lia Thomas nominated for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award
Lia Thomas, the first transgender woman who has earned a national title in Division 1 athletics, was nominated by the University of Pennsylvania for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
The former University of Pennsylvania swimmer has been the center of national debate about transgender athletes in sports. The NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established to honor senior female student-athletes who demonstrate excelling performances in academics, athletics and community services at college.
In March, Thomas, joined the women’s swimming team after competing against men for three years, became the first transgender woman to have a national title in Division 1.
She finished the 500-yard freestyle event in the fastest time recorded in the NCAA season. However, such attention-drawing performances also brought Thomas to the heated debate over whether transgender women should compete with cisgender women.
