Former University of Pennsylvania swimmers who once shared the pool with transgender athlete Lia Thomas are speaking out after the Trump administration finalized a landmark agreement with the Ivy League school to exclude biological males from women’s sports.
Margot Kaczorowski and Ellen Holmquist, both former members of the UPenn swim team, appeared on Fox & Friends to discuss the new policy, which emerged following a high-profile investigation into Thomas’ participation in women’s events. While they welcomed the move, the former athletes emphasized that more work remains.
“It’s a good starting point,” Kaczorowski said. “I’m really grateful to the Trump administration for standing up to protect women, but there’s still a long way to go. We need stronger policies and verification processes to make sure only biological females are competing in women’s sports.”
Holmquist, who was left off the 2022 Ivy League Championship roster in part due to Thomas’ inclusion, reflected on the personal toll the controversy had and called for meaningful protection for future generations of female athletes.
“This is about young girls who want a fair shot to compete,” she said.
UPenn Faces Backlash, Pressure for Full Accountability
Kaczorowski criticized UPenn’s handling of the situation, saying the school has yet to fully acknowledge its role.
“They’re not taking full accountability the way I wish they would,” she said. “They now have an opportunity to work with the women who were affected, to implement real change. But instead, they’re still resisting. I’m hopeful they eventually get on the right path.”
Another former teammate, Paula Scanlan, praised Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s leadership in brokering the agreement. Scanlan appeared on America’s Newsroom after attending the official announcement at the White House.
“I was there when Secretary McMahon made the announcement,” Scanlan said. “She’s shown real leadership, and I’m confident she’ll continue making positive changes in higher education.”
Key Terms of the Agreement
Under the agreement, UPenn has committed to restoring school records that were broken by biological male athletes and will now comply with Trump-era Title IX standards that define women’s sports as reserved for biological females.
In a public statement, the university acknowledged the new compliance guidelines and affirmed that future athletic participation will align with the federal directive.
This marks a major policy shift for the school, which had previously allowed Thomas to compete in the women’s division — sparking national debate and legal scrutiny.
Broader Federal Action on Women’s Sports
The UPenn decision follows President Donald Trump’s February executive order titled “No Men in Women’s Sports,” which bars transgender athletes from competing in female sports categories and threatens to pull federal funding from noncompliant institutions.
Riley Gaines, who famously tied Lia Thomas for fifth place in the 200 Freestyle at the NCAA Championships, called the new agreement a “huge step toward accountability.”
The Trump administration has framed the move as part of a broader campaign to restore fairness and biological integrity to women’s sports nationwide.
