University of Pennsylvania’s Lia Thomas Gets Award Nomination That Swimmer Riley Gaines Hates
The first transgender woman to win titles at the Ivy League and NCAA championships was Thomas.
This sparked a heated debate over whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in sports against women that were born as men.
Earnest Gaines tweeted her opinion, saying the NCAA is making the highest award in collegiate athletics “worthless.”
Thomas won the 500-yard freestyle during the 2022 NCAA Division I women’s swimming and diving championship at the McAuley Aquatic Center on March 17, 2022, in Atlanta.
Lia Thomas, after winning the 500-yard freestyle during the 2022 NCAA Division I women’s swimming and diving championships at the McAuley Aquatic Center on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology. March 17th, in Atlanta.
Tara VanDerveer, the University of Kentucky’s star player and the nominee for “NCAA WOTY”, tweeted in response to Outkick founder Clay Travis. She stated that this nomination is her second one this season, making it a double-slap in the face. The NCAA made this award worthless.
“One of the most coveted awards in college athletics is the Heisman Trophy. Despite his large wealth and celebrity status, Thomas has shown little proof of character outside of being selfish and entitled. This disregard for other women is disheartening.”
At the NCAA championships earlier this year, Thomas beat Gaines in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of one minute 48.56 seconds. Gaines made a second place finish in the 100-yard backstroke after swimming that event in 59.03 seconds, which is faster than Thomas’ mark of 58.63 seconds.
LIA THOMAS NOMINATED BY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA FOR NCAA ‘WOMAN OF THE YEAR’ AWARD
“I am very appreciative of this award and the honor to be selected as one of the best in my sport,” Gaines shares. “To be up against such strong competitors is an incredible feeling. I know I love the UK, and Big Blue Nation, which helped me get this award.”
The NCAA determines Woman of the Year candidates by interviewing each member school’s representative. The conference nominating committee then decides which candidate from their conference to send on to the National Committee. Independent nominees are reviewed by a separate committee and their nominations are considered.
The NCAA will then select the top 30 and from there, three finalists are chosen from the pool of finalists. From the nine finalists, the NCAA will choose a winner.
