Penn’s Lia Thomas wins third title, breaks another pool record in final day of Ivy swim championships

Penn secured itself as the top freestyle team in the league, as just before Thomas’ feat, junior teammate Catherine Buroker also notched a second Ivy League title in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

University of Pennsylvania's Lia Thomas cheers for her teammates swimming in the 1650 yard-freestyle finals during the final night of the Women's Ivy League Swimming and Diving Championships at Harvard University.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

by Ellie Rushing

Published Feb. 19, 2022, 8:40 p.m. ET

BOSTON ― For the third night in a row, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas stood atop the medal stand and was named an Ivy League champion.

And in as many days, she broke a third Harvard University Blodgett Pool record, and a second Ivy League meet record in a thrilling 100-yard freestyle race.

It was the closing day of the Ivy League championships, and Thomas was seeded second in the 100 freestyle to Yale University’s Iszac Henig. In the preliminaries, Henig beat Thomas by about a second and established a Blodgett pool record.

But Thomas dove in Saturday night with her eyes on the prize, just barely passing Henig to finish in 47.63 seconds, edging him out by just two-tenths of a second and re-establishing the pool record.

Just before Thomas’ feat, junior Catherine Buroker also notched a second Ivy League title in the 1,650-yard freestyle.

Buroker posted a season-best time of 16 minutes and 21.17 seconds, jetting past her competitors — even lapping some — to clinch first in the meet’s longest race. Teammate Anna Sofia Kalandadze followed closely behind Princeton’s Ellie Marquardt, taking third place with a time of 16:28.85. Penn’s Grace Giddings took fifth.

Afterward, the three women embraced.

The 1,650 free is the most grueling race in swimming. In an interview, Buroker said that by the end of the race, “your body feels like it’s shutting down.” But the rush from winning, she said, is worth it.

Buroker holds the top times in Penn history in the 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyle, and was named the Ivy League champion in these events her freshman year. She also competed in the NCAA championships that year, only the second Penn woman to do so.

But then last season was canceled because of the coronavirus. Buroker said that while she didn’t break personal best times this week, “considering the last 12 months” she’s proud of herself and her team’s performance.

That performance included Penn establishing itself — by far — as the top freestyle team in the Ivy League.

“There’s no secret, it’s just work,” she said of that success.

She said coach Mike Schnur worked tirelessly to prepare them for this week, and maintains a strong connection with each of his swimmers.

Buroker will find out next Wednesday if her race times qualify for the NCAAs next month. If she doesn’t qualify, she’ll start preparing for her final season as a collegiate athlete, with the goal of breaking 16 minutes in the mile.

Junior Margaret Kaczorowski also placed sixth in the 100 freestyle.

Buroker’s showing Saturday complemented the title she earned Friday in the 1,000-yard freestyle race, cementing herself as the top distance swimmer in the Ivy League.

Thomas was initially listed as the top seed in the 1,650 free heading into the week but did not end up swimming the event. Penn did not comment on the change.

In total, the Quakers will bring five Ivy League titles back to Philadelphia.

Thomas, who is a transgender woman, was named the champion of the 200-yard and 500-yard freestyles, and broke Blodgett Pool records in both races, and an Ivy League meet record in the 500 free.

Henig is a transgender man who has delayed taking any testosterone hormones, and remains eligible to swim on the women’s team.

Despite some intense opposition to Thomas’ participation leading up to this week — including from 16 of her teammates, who sent an unsigned letter to Penn and the Ivy League asking she be barred from participating — the events went smoothly and were filled with sportsmanship from all sides.

Ivy seniors, including Thomas, were honored at the start of the night, as the meet marks the end of the season for most of the women.

Thomas, 22, holds the fastest times in the country among NCAA women in the 200 and 500 freestyle, and she’s qualified to swim in the NCAAs in Atlanta next month.

Her success has placed her at the center of a heated national debate on transgender athletes’ — especially trans women’s — rights to play sports. Conservative media outlets have hammered her background, and a Missouri State Senate candidate even used Thomas as the center of an anti-trans campaign advertisement.

Quick facts on Lia Thomas

For a more comprehensive dive, read this explainer. Here are a few key things to know:

Thomas' swimming: Thomas swam on the men’s team for three years. Last season was canceled by the pandemic. This is her first year on the women’s team.
Hormone therapy: She started hormone replacement therapy in May 2019.
Eligibility: Thomas has fulfilled all the NCAA’s eligibility requirements to compete.
The science: Experts say a trans woman’s testosterone levels will fall to that of the average cis-woman’s between the first and second year on hormone therapy. Their strength levels will significantly drop, but will never fully equal an average cis-woman’s, they said.
What critics (including teammates) say: Her male-at-birth assignment gives her an unfair biological advantage, like height, increased lung capacity, and strength.
What supporters say: She’s successful because she’s a hardworking athlete, not because she’s trans. She's earned her spot to compete, and isn't stealing a place from other women.

Some argue that Thomas’ male-at-birth assignment gives her an unfair biological advantage — like larger lungs, height, and strength — in the pool. Her supporters say that because she has followed all eligibility protocols, including taking testosterone suppressants and estrogen enhancers for nearly 34 months now, she has a right to compete.

Thomas and her coach, Schnur, have declined interviews.