Transgender Swimmer Thomas Up for NCAA Woman of Year

The University of Pennsylvania transgender swimmer who became international infamous has been nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Lia Thomas, born a male before transitioning to become a woman, became the first transgender swimmer to win an NCAA Division I women's national championship, which led to the world elite swimming governing body (FINA) to effectively block transgender participation in international women's events.

There are hundreds of candidates for the award, representing all 23 sports and all three NCAA divisions.

The controversy has conservatives fighting for women in NCAA sports, arguing it is unfair for biological females to compete with those who are born males. The males are inherently in an advantageous physical position, a view backed by doctors and physiology.

There have been 18 states since 2021, including 10 this year, that have enacted legislative bans on transgender student athletes competing against those of their gender identity instead of their born biological sex, The Hill reported.

USA Swimming is going to require female athletes to prove the level of testosterone in their blood has been less than 5 nanomoles per liter continuously for at least 36 months, which is a restriction even more restrictive than others around the world, according to The Hill.

The NCAA has yet to adopt those USA Swimming standards.

"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 release recognizing all 577 nominees.

There will be 10 finalists chosen by a selection committee from each of the three NCAA divisions, which will be honored at the NCAA 2023 Convention in January in San Antonio. The NCAA Woman of the Year will be announced there.

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