Lia Thomas reaches third final at NCAA swimming championships, to be No. 4 seed in 100-yard freestyle

ATLANTA — Penn swimmer Lia Thomas will be the fourth seed in the 100-yard freestyle final Saturday night after posting a season-best time of 47.37 seconds in the morning prelims at the NCAA women's swimming and diving championships.

Thomas was in seventh after the first 50 but surged into second place in her heat behind Virginia freshman Gretchen Walsh, who touched the wall in 46.78 seconds.

Walsh will be the top seed Saturday night, followed by NC State's Katharine Berkoff, who won her heat in 46.89 seconds. Walsh and Berkoff also squared off in the 100 backstroke Friday night, with Berkoff getting the win while setting American and NCAA records in the event.

Thomas, a fifth-year senior who is a transgender woman, entered the 100 freestyle with the 10th-fastest time in the country, a mark she set at the Ivy League championships in February. She was not considered to be among the favorites in the event.

Yale junior Iszac Henig reached the 100 freestyle final by swimming a career-best 47.55 on Saturday morning and earning the No. 8 seed. Henig, who is a transgender man, is eligible for the women's championships because he has not started hormone therapy.

Thomas and Henig will square off for the first time at the NCAA championships in the 100 freestyle final, though neither is favored to win. It will be a rematch of their showdown at the Ivy League championships, where Thomas got the win over Henig.

On Thursday, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win a Division I national championship when she won the 500 freestyle. She tied for fifth in the 200 freestyle Friday.

Thomas' victory in the 500 freestyle came amid protests outside of Georgia Tech's McAuley Aquatic Center and noticeable quiet from the otherwise rowdy