Social media exploded with criticism on Friday after the University of Pennsylvania nominated transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, who is biologically male and self-identifies as a woman, for the 2022 NCAA Woman of the Year award.

Thomas, 22, competed on the men’s team at the University of Pennsylvania before identifying as female in 2019 and taking testosterone blockers and estrogen. The swimmer started competing on the women’s team in 2021, and quickly cleaned up at the NCAA Division I national championship, taking the women’s 500-yard freestyle event this March.