Penn Quakers swimmer Lia Thomas wins 100-yard freestyle, ends with 4 titles at Ivy League Swimming and Diving Championships

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The University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas won her third individual Ivy League championship on Saturday night by out-touching Yale's Iszac Henig in the highly anticipated 100 yard freestyle.

Thomas won four titles, including the 400 freestyle relay, after leading the Quakers to victory.

The meet and Blodgett Pool records that were set by Henig just hours earlier in the morning were broken by Thomas in the 100 free. Henig was the winner in 47.82, and the runner-up in 48.81.

It was the first time this weekend that Thomas was pushed to the end. At the halfway point of the race, Thomas was behind the Yale junior but slowly gained ground before nudging ahead before the wall. Thomas splashed the water with her right hand after Henig embraced her over the lane line. She said hello to Venema before leaving the pool.

The eighth fastest time in the nation is by Thomas. She shaved 1.5 seconds off her best time.

Henig was the top seed after setting a Blodgett Pool and Ivy League record in the prelims.

Before Saturday, the meet record was held by Yale's Bella Hindley, who set the mark of 47.85 in 2019. The pool record of 48.64 was set by Miki Dahlke.

Thomas is the only three-time individual winner at the meet. She won the 200 freestyle by nearly three seconds and the 500 freestyle by more than seven seconds. The Ivy League record for the 200 of 1:43.12 was set by Thomas, as well as the Blodgett Pool record for the 500 of 4:37.32.

Thomas is the new owner of two Ivy League records and three Blodgett Pool records.

The 400 freestyle relay was the final event of the meet. The first Ivy League championships relay win in program history was achieved by Penn, who set a new pool record with a 3:17.80 time. Thomas scored the most points of the meet. Penn finished in third place.

Catherine Buroker was a double winner this weekend, taking first place in the 1,000 and 1,650. The eighth-best time in the country was not competed in by Thomas, who had the best time in the Ivy League this season.

Freshman Aleksandra Denisenko won the 100 and 200 breaststroke, while Harvard had a pair of two-time winners in the 400 individual medley and the 200 backstroke.

Henig, who set a pool record in winning the 50 freestyle on Thursday, was looking to win his second title Saturday night in his first head-to-head race with Thomas. The last time they competed against each other was in January. Henig won the race in 49.57. Thomas was three seconds behind Henig.

Henig was a part of two relay teams. He led off the 200 freestyle relay that set a meet record on Thursday and swam the anchor leg of the 400 freestyle relay on Friday. Harvard was disqualified and Yale was crowned the champion.

She had her best times of the season in the 200 and 500. In December, Thomas set the nation's best times in the 200 and 500 at the Zippy Invite, which qualified her for the NCAA Championships in Atlanta.

Thomas has been at the center of a debate about who gets to compete and win in women's sports. Thomas spent three seasons on the men's team at Penn. Several of Thomas' teammates spoke out in support of her and against her inclusion on the women's team.

The controversy of the past two-plus months was not brought up during the four-day Ivy League Championships. The first trans swimmer to compete on a Division I men's team draped a flag over a railing near the pool deck.

After her wins, Thomas was high-fived by her teammates on the podium. Andie wore a face mask with a flag on it. The swimmers were not available to the media at the meet.

The 200 and 500 freestyle events are where Thomas will compete. Her times in the 1,650 and 100 free put her in contention to be selected for those events as well. Henig is in contention in the 50 and 100 free.