Penn's Lia Thomas wins Ivy League Championship in 500 free

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Penn transgender swimmer Lia Thomas won an Ivy League Championship in the 500-yard freestyle Thursday night, picking up her first individual victory of the week.

Thomas got off to a slow start in the event and had to fight off Princeton’s Ellie Marquardt early in the race. Thomas pulled way ahead by the midpoint of the race. 

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Penn's Lia Thomas waits to compete in a qualifying heat of the 500-yard freestyle event at the Ivy League Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at Harvard University, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

She finished with a time of 4:37:32 and took home first place, giving the Quakers 32 points for the total team rankings. Thomas’ teammate Catherine Buroker finished in second place with a time of 4:44.83, and Penn's Anna Sofia Kalandadze finished in fourth place with a time of 4:47.54. 

Thomas finished about seven seconds ahead of Buroker to pick up the victory and set a record at Harvard University's Blodgett Pool.

LIA THOMAS, PENN JUMP INTO IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH 3RD PLACE FINISH IN 800-YARD FREESTYLE RELAY

Penn's Lia Thomas waits to compete in a qualifying heat of the 500-yard freestyle event at the Ivy League Women's Swimming and Diving Championships at Harvard University, Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

Marquardt finished in third place with a time of 4:46.63

Thomas was a part of Penn's 800-yard freestyle relay with Kalandadze, Margot Kaczorowski and Bridget O’Leary on Wednesday night. Thomas swam the first leg of the relay and got a bit of a challenge from Yale’s Iszac Henig, who is