The swimmer turned the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title.
WASHINGTON — University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas was nominated for the 2022 NCAA’s Woman of the Year Award.
The award acknowledges feminine pupil athletes who’ve distinguished themselves of their communities, athletics and teachers, in response to the NCAA’s website.
“As 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year program is an important opportunity to honor and reflect on the impact of women on intercollegiate sports,” the NCAA wrote in a press release.
Earlier this yr, Thomas turned the first transgender lady to win an NCAA Division I title after ending first in the ladies’s 500-yard freestyle. She has additionally been at the heart of debates about transgender athletes in sports activities.
Her win drew widespread consideration, together with from Republican politicians like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who issued an official proclamation declaring the runner-up the “real winner.”
Thomas said in May on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she was aiming to become an Olympic swimmer. She also disputed those who say she has an unfair biological edge that ruins the integrity of women’s athletics, saying “trans women are not a threat to women’s sports.”
There is a complete of 577 nominations representing 23 totally different sports activities. Ten college students are chosen from every division, naming them the Top 30 honorees. From the 30 chosen, there’ll three finalists from every division.
The Woman of the Year award shall be named at the NCAA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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