Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas nominated for NCAA 2022 Woman of the Year Award

By Amanda Musa, CNN

Updated 0305 GMT (1105 HKT) July 16, 2022

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(CNN)The University of Pennsylvania nominated swimmer Lia Thomas — who has become the face of the debate ontransgender women in sports — for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The Ivy League swimmer was nominated as a Division I athlete for Swimming and Diving, according to the NCAA website. The award is meant to honor the «academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions,» according to the website. In March, Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I title after finishing first in the women's 500-yard freestyle event and recording the fastest time of the NCAA season. With that victory, she became the first transgender athlete to win a D-I title in any sport. Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas says 'trans women are not a threat to women's sports'Thomas, who previously swam for Penn's men's team, brought renewed attention to the debate on trans women's participation in sports and the balance between inclusion and fair play during a time when states across the US are passing laws aiming to curb the rights of transgender people. She first launched into the public eye with a stunning performance at the Zippy Invitational in Ohio in December, when she set NCAA season-best times in the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races. And she won the 100-yard, 200-yard and 500-yard freestyle races at the Ivy League women's championships in February. Read MoreIn a May interview with ABC, the swimmer talked about feeling depressed early in college, before her